West
Washington school board pres takes stand on girls' sports after trans runner win: 'We're excluding girls'
A Washington school board president is hoping to inspire schools to take a stand on behalf of girls’ sports.
“The one thing that people say, a lot of times, is that they argue that including, I guess, boys or men in women’s sports, that’s really inclusive. But the fact is it’s exclusive. Because we’re excluding girls and women now,” Gabe Galbraith, who leads the Kennewick School Board, told Fox News Digital.
The school district recently passed a resolution that affirmed the board’s stance that biological males should not compete with biological females in sports.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association does not require high school athletes to take part in hormone treatments to play female sports. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images | Photo by Swen Pförtner/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Kennewick School District Board of Directors strongly supports fairness in competition and student safety; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Kennewick School District Board of Directors strongly affirms that ‘sex’ is defined as biological male or biological female as determined at birth, and is an immutable characteristic that cannot be changed, fluid, or altered,” the resolution read.
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It continued, “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Kennewick School District Board of Directors strongly affirms that biological males should not participate in biological females’ sports and inherent biological differences and abilities exist between biological males and biological females and commits to protecting female sports.”
The resolution, which passed in June, followed a transgender runner winning the girls’ 400-meter sprint at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) state track and field meet.
Although the idea for the resolution came after President Biden’s Title IX revisions back in April, Galbraith acknowledged the track meet influenced the timing of its release.
Gabe Galbraith criticized claims that allowing biological males in girls’ sports is inclusive. (Fox News Digital | Photo by Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)
“We have too many people just kind of sitting on the sidelines and not voicing their concerns. So we decided we were going to take a stand. We came up with this resolution, and we passed it at our local school board meeting, just this last week. We’re the first board in Washington state to take a stand against this. Hopefully, we can get a bunch of the other school boards on this resolution and maybe affect some change in the state,” Galbraith said.
He revealed that they have since received support from locals as well as city council members after the resolution passed. Galbraith also hoped that this resolution “opens the door for others to kind of jump in and follow along” to inspire real change.
“They tell us it’s never going to happen in your state. It’ll never happen. And then it happens. And then we were able to come out and stand up against it with our resolution, which effectively is just our board saying that we don’t support it. We have to try to work with our legislators and stuff to affect some change to figure out what the next step is,” Galbraith said.
The Kennewick School Board passed a resolution that affirmed protections for girls’ sports in June. (Google Earth screenshot)
TRANSGENDER ATHLETE COMPLAINS ABOUT LACK OF SPORTSMANSHIP FROM FELLOW RUNNERS AFTER WINNING GIRLS STATE TITLE
According to Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) policy, every athlete will compete in programs “consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed.” However, the association does not require athletes to take part in hormone therapy or use hormone blockers.
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BOISE, Idaho — A Boise neighbor said she trapped the largest rat she has ever seen in her backyard, and a local pest control expert said he has already responded to multiple Treasure Valley homes this year to remove the rodents. As sightings increase, Idaho lawmakers are also taking action.
Britni Killeen, who grew up on a farm in East Idaho, said nothing could have prepared her for what she found in her West Boise backyard.
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“I’m a 5th-generation Idahoan, and I’ve never seen something that big,” Killeen said.
Killeen believes the rats may be swimming through the Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve and making their way into nearby neighborhoods.
“We live next door to the refuge, and if you have a gap between your fence, which we do, it’s about 3 ft, they come into your yard, and they can go under fences,” explained Killeen.
Alpha Home Pest Control has served the Treasure Valley for over 10 years. Owner Mike Hill said he has been receiving weekly calls about rat sightings. While some turn out to be false alarms, he has already visited seven Treasure Valley homes this year to remove rats. Hill said many of them may be arriving from out of state and staying because of the mild weather conditions.
“Washington, California, the shipping, the freight coming back and forth, they’re kind of stowaways,” Hill said. “Then with the mild winters that we’ve been having, [it] hasn’t really been killing them off.”
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Hill said Norway and Roof rats can pose serious risks to both health and property.
“They carry disease, they carry fleas, ticks, they can chew through your wiring in your home,” Hill said. “Their teeth grow very rapidly, so there have been cases where they’re up there chewing on wires, [and] the house burns down.”
If you spot a rat, Hill recommends calling a professional to ensure there are not more hiding nearby. He also offered several prevention tips.
“The droppings of the fruit, excess fruit, keep that stuff picked up. Make sure that your trash is enclosed in either a hard plastic or metal container,” Hill said.
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As rat sightings increase across the Treasure Valley, lawmakers are taking notice. On Thursday, the Idaho Senate passed the Rodents of Unusual Size Act, which would declare Norway and roof rats a public health and safety nuisance and requires the state to take action to control and remove them. That bill now heads to the House.
Killeen said the legislation is a step in the right direction.
“Considering how big that rat is, I would definitely say so,” Killeen said. “I didn’t even know that big of rats could exist in Idaho, but maybe I’m just rural.”
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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