Lynden School Board backs state transgender sports, parental rights initiatives
After almost 40 minutes of public comments made in opposition, the Lynden School District Board unanimously approved a resolution at their Thursday night meeting in support of two Washington State initiatives related to transgender student athletes’ participation in girls’ sports and parental rights to student information.
The two initiatives supported in the resolution are IL26-638, Protecting Fairness in Girls’ Sports, and IL26-001, Strengthening Communication Between Parents and Schools.
“I’m glad we’re pushing these initiatives. I think they’re common sense,” Lynden School District Board member Danny Martinez said at the meeting.
Both initiatives are proposed by the group Let’s Go Washington, which is self-identified as a nonpartisan organization.
Initiative IL26-638 would effectively ban transgender girls from participating in K-12 girls sports programs. If passed, it would require students to compete in sports consistent with their biological sex determined at birth, verified by a state-mandated physical exam.
Initiative IL26-001 would reinstate parts of Initiative 2081, Washington’s parental rights law that lawmakers rewrote in 2025 to align with state and federal laws. The initiative is aimed at restoring certain parental rights that were modified such as the right to view student records and instructional materials, receive certain notifications about student-related matters, and opt students out of specific activities.
“I do not feel it is in the true interest of students in this community that our board is taking this time and energy to be involved in a statewide culture war,” said Lynden resident Susan McClung during the public comment period of Thursday’s school board meeting.
Proponents of the initiatives say they would ensure fairness in sports and support parents’ rights to be informed about their children. Opponents argue the initiatives are discriminatory against transgender athletes, require “invasive genital exams,” and could lead to forced outings of LGBTQ+ students to abusive guardians.
“I’m a little bit confused why up here in Washington there’s this challenge to want to limit young trans female athletes from playing in sports. I think it’s a great injustice to them. A young trans person only wants to be accepted,” said Nova Martin, a Bellingham resident who identified herself at the meeting as a transgender female athlete.
Board member Ken Owsley argued these initiatives have been “totally mischaracterized” by opponents and rejected the notion that students would be subject to invasive tests under Initiative IL26-638. He also said there “shouldn’t even be a question” about the parents’ right initiative and that there “should not be any controversy” over it.
“I don’t hate trans people. I don’t wish ill will on them,” Owsley said at the meeting. “I have daughters who played in sports. I want girls protected. That’s as simple as that.”
Let’s Go Washington signature gatherers have collected more than 200,000 signatures for each initiative. They need to gather 309,000 signatures for each measure before Jan. 2 to get the initiatives on the ballot.
Lynden School District Board members passed a resolution at a board meeting in April reaffirming the district’s concerns about transgender students participating in women’s divisions of school sports and indicating an intent to pursue legal action against the state agency that oversees public K–12 education.
The passing of that resolution prompted about 100 people to protest outside a Lynden School District Board meeting about a month later. The meeting room filled with those issuing public comments opposing the resolution.
This story was originally published November 8, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
