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Track coach who sued Oregon school district explains why transgender division is necessary
John Parks, a high school track coach in Oregon who has sued his former school district over alleged First Amendment infractions, explained why a separate division for transgender athletes was necessary in his eyes.
Parks was fired from Lake Oswego High School after he sent a letter to state officials and asked them to reconsider state rules regarding transgender athletes. Parks raised concerns over laws that offer protections for athletes who seek to compete against the gender they personally identify. He told Fox News Digital he filed the lawsuit because he felt like he did nothing wrong.
Former Oregon high school track coach John Parks (OutKick)
On Monday, Parks appeared on “OutKick The Morning” with Charly Arnolt and explained why he believed there should be a separate division for transgender athletes. He recalled one transgender girl getting booed by fans after winning a race. He also noted physical advantages.
“By having a separate division, you empower more transgender athletes to feel comfortable to come out, because right now, I think a lot would feel like, ‘Well, I don’t want to do so to disadvantage, because I do have a physical advantage.’ That’s been proven by the scientific studies done by the IOC and other international sport federations like World Athletes, World Aquatics, etc.,” Parks said.
“They got these policies in place, and the concern at the high school level is, ‘Well, not all kids develop at the same age.’ Well, we still have separate divisions for a reason, and the transgender athletes are fully aware that if they’ve gone through puberty they have an advantage. They have higher testosterone levels, and that’s where they have this advantage they can’t undo,” he continued.
“Those are the things I mentioned because it’s what should be addressed, so the kids are cheered and celebrated for their accomplishments and not booed – it’s not what sports is about.”
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John Parks coached girls track and field at Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. (Fox News)
Parks previously told KATU that he addressed two letters to a high-ranking official with the Oregon Student Activities Association. He also sent letters to state Sen. Rob Wagner, including one last month after Oregon’s state championships. In the letters, Parks said the state’s laws, as currently constructed, do a disservice to girls’ sports.
Parks appeared to reference the International Olympic Committee’s hormone testing mandates. The requirements for hormone testing vary across different sports leagues, committees and organizations.
“The OSAA competition rules need to be aligned with what the rest of the world competes under,” Parks wrote in the letter addressed to Wagner. “My proposal to encourage transgender participation is to offer an open division that is so named so it doesn’t identify or discriminate but offers an opportunity to participate.”
Parks told Arnolt he was still a bit stunned over the school district’s decision to terminate him.
“I’m still mystified as to why they took this path,” he said. “It’s damaged the reputation of the leadership that made this decision. … Hundreds of parents have come up to me and said, ‘We’re behind you, we’re fighting for you, stick it to the district.’ All these kinds of comments.
People wave a Transgender Pride flag as they attend the LA Pride Parade on June 11, 2023, in Hollywood, California. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
“It goes back to coaches in the building at Lake Oswego who still support me 100%, and the more they’ve heard, the angrier they have gotten with the decision made. So, it’s divided the school.”
The Liberty Justice Center filed the lawsuit on Parks’ behalf.
Fox News’ Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
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FBI raid involving LA schools superintendent possibly tied to failed $6M AI deal, potential conflict
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The federal investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, whose home and school office were raided Wednesday, may be tied to a failed multimillion-dollar AI school contract involving a potential conflict of interest.
Alberto Carvalho previously awarded a $6 million contract, paying $3 million up front, to education technology company AllHere.
A former salesperson employed by the firm also had her Miami property raided the same day as Carvalho, according to public records cited by the Los Angeles Times. The woman, Debra Kerr, reportedly had close ties to Carvalho during his tenure leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Spokesperson Jim Marshall confirmed to local media Miami Herald that “we searched a residence in Southwest Ranches today as part of this matter and have since cleared the scene.”
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho speaks during an event at the LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on October 30, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In 2023, Carvalho secured a contract with AllHere to develop an AI chatbot called “Ed,” designed to help address student issues such as absenteeism.
It ultimately collapsed in 2024 after its founder, Joanna Smith-Griffi, was accused of embezzling funds amid data privacy risks and whistleblower concerns. She was later charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and identity theft.
Kerr further claimed in AllHere’s bankruptcy court filings that the company owed her commissions for helping secure its deal with LAUSD, according to education-focused outlet The 74.
While federal officials confirmed that search warrants were conducted Wednesday, they declined to reveal the nature of the investigation, noting that the warrants remain under seal.
Federal officials appear to carry cardboard outside a home in California. (KTTV)
However, sources told the LA Times that the investigation fell under the broad category of financial issues, and that the raid focused on Carvalho rather than the California school district.
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LAUSD released a statement saying the district is fully cooperating with federal officials.
“The LAUSD Board of Education understands that today’s news has raised questions across our school communities,” it said.
“The Board’s priority remains ensuring that our students, families, and employees experience a safe and welcoming learning environment. Teaching and learning continue across our schools. Los Angeles Unified continues to stay focused on our responsibility to serve students and our families.”
The superintendent has led the nation’s second-largest school district since 2022, overseeing the education of roughly 400,000 students. He was also unanimously reappointed to the position in September 2025.
Before moving to California, he spent 14 years leading Miami‑Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest school district.
The home of Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is located in San Pedro, California. (KTTV)
Wednesday’s raids mark the latest controversy to engulf Carvalho.
In 2020, he helped secure a $1.57 million donation from a company that had a pending contract with the district, the Miami Herald reported.
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FBI agents appear to conduct a search warrant at a San Pedro home connected to Alberto Carvalho. (KTTV)
The funds reportedly went to an education nonprofit he founded, and the company’s online learning program, which was ultimately plagued with problems, was quickly scrapped.
In June 2021, the school’s inspector general determined that the donation, intended to benefit teachers, did not violate any policies but created the “appearance of impropriety,” the outlet said. The foundation was subsequently urged to return the funds, which reportedly had been distributed to teachers as $100 gift certificates.
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