The U.S. departments of Education and Justice announced their Title IX ‘Special Investigations Team’ joint initiative, alleging that the state’s public schools agency has imposed gender-inclusion requirements on school districts in possible violation of federal law

Carleen Johnson
The Center Square Washington

A family in East Wenatchee, Wash., at the center of the controversy surrounding transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, tells The Center Square they are reenergized now that the federal government has launched an investigation into the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

On Wednesday, the U.S. departments of Education and Justice announced their Title IX “Special Investigations Team” joint initiative, alleging that the state’s public schools agency has imposed gender-inclusion requirements on school districts in possible violation of federal law. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports. 

Ahnaleigh Wilson, 15, who is about to finish her freshman year at Eastmont High in East Wenatchee, came in second place at the Cashmere Junior Olympics regional track meet 1,600-meter race on May 18, 2024, losing to a transgender athlete from a different high school.

She and her parents have since been very vocal about the disadvantage they say biological females face in competition against biological males.

Wilson tearfully recounted the incident during a September 2024 Lincoln Day dinner, as recorded by Brandi Kruse’s “unDivided” podcast. She spoke before an audience of some 500 people about the vitriol her family faced for speaking out.

Ahnaleigh’s mom, Elizabeth Wilson, told The Center Square that all the attention to their family on this issue over the last year has taken a toll.

“It just takes somebody to stand up and do what is right, even if it’s not popular,” Wilson said noting her family was disappointed last month when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association fell one advisory vote short of approving an amendment that would have prevented biological boys from competing in girls’ sports. “It’s just frustrating because I just wish that these adults would do what is right and show our kids what it means to stand for something even when it’s hard.”

Wilson said the recent federal intervention heartens her family.  

“It’s almost been a full year of our family into this and continuing to fight,” she said. “You know, we’re tired. At the same time, I know that it’s the right thing to do.”

The Wilsons are among the parties to a complaint filed two months ago with the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education by Washington Parents Network against OSPI and Gov. Bob Ferguson

Several Washington school districts that have resisted Reykdal’s gender-inclusive policies are also part of the complaint.

“WPN will be filing a FERPA Parents Rights Complaint next week, greatly expanding OSPI FERPA violations to include numerous other school districts and numerous parents whose rights have been violated due to OSPI failing to comply with FERPA,” WPN Executive Director David Spring said.

FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which Washington policies may be violating.

One of the districts in the WPN complaint is the Kennewick School District.

Kennewick School Board Vice President Micah Valentine told The Center Square that the board has taken a united stand against Reykdal’s directive to allow boys to play in girls’ sports and use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.

“This is not about trans kids or trans rights. It has never been. It’s about women and women’s rights,” Valentine said. “It’s just not fair for a woman to train her whole life or her whole career and to get shot down.”

Wilson said her family will stay the course.

“The experience we’ve gone through … you know, we’ve lost friends. Annaleigh has been attacked and told she’s not good enough, not fast enough, she should train harder,” she said. “It has definitely affected our family, but again, we know what is right and we know our hearts.”

The Washington, D.C.-based Independent Women’s Forum has been closely monitoring and reporting on states’ efforts to oppose gender ideology and parental rights issues.

“The president has signed these executive orders. He means business. His administration is not messing around. You violate the law, you will potentially lose federal funding, period,” said Beth Parlato, senior legal advisor of the Independent Women’s Law Center, a project of the IWF.

From a legal perspective, she said, when it comes to FERPA, there is a huge misunderstanding.

“FERPA rights belong to the parent. They don’t belong to the students,” Parlato said. “The parent owns those rights and is entitled to everything under FERPA until their child is emancipated at 18 years old. I know Washington’s been heavily involved in a lot of this with secrecy laws and not telling parents what’s going on with their kids in school.”

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal pushed back on the federal government’s announced investigation.

“My job as the leader of this constitutional office is to communicate, uphold, and enforce the law,” he emailed The Center Square. “My office will enforce our current laws as we are required to do until Congress changes the law and/or federal courts invalidate Washington state’s laws. Unless, and until that happens, we will be following Washington state’s laws, not a president’s political leanings expressed through unlawful orders.”

Ahnaleigh is competing in track and cross-country this year, her mother said, and has faced transgender athletes in cross country competition. 

“It’s just about what is right, what is fair, what is safe, and not taking opportunities away from girls,” she said. “I want to help my daughter use her voice. You know, I’m her parent, and I see how hard she works.”

This report was first published by The Center Square Washington.