West
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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San Francisco, CA
Hundreds Rally in San Francisco Against U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran | KQED
She acknowledged that Iranian Americans hold a range of political views, including some who support U.S. intervention, but said she believes the future of Iran should be determined by its people.
“The Iranian people in Iran can decide the future of their country,” she said. “War, I don’t think, is going to help.”
Speaking to the crowd, Mortazavi challenged what she described as a narrative that Iranians broadly support U.S. and Israeli military action.
“They want you to believe that every Iranian … is cheering on the United States and Israel,” she said. “That is unequivocally false.”
She urged attendees to continue organizing beyond the rally and announced plans for additional demonstrations.
Dina Saadeh, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said multiple groups mobilized quickly in response to the strikes.
“I’m angered today,” Saadeh told KQED. “People here don’t want to see our country engaged in more endless war.”
Saadeh described the protest as part of a broader effort to oppose sanctions, military escalation and what she called U.S. imperialism. She said participants were calling on elected officials to redirect public funds toward domestic needs.
“People want money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation,” she said.
KQED’s María Fernanda Bernal contributed to this story.
Denver, CO
Police searching for information after fatal assault in Denver
Denver police are looking for information that could help them identify the suspect in a fatal assault overnight.
Officers were called to the scene in the 9700 block of E. Hampden Avenue around 2:08 a.m. They said an injured man at the scene was taken to a hospital for treatment, but he has been pronounced deceased.
DPD says they’re investigating the case as a homicide. They did not provide the identity of the man who was killed or further details on the case.
Police encouraged anyone with information about the attack or the possible suspect(s) involved to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
Seattle, WA
Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over $20 Necklace – SPD Blotter
Seattle police detectives are investigating a robbery and shooting of a 23-year-old man over a $20 necklace in Pioneer Square this morning.
At about 12:40 a.m., patrol officers responded to a shooting in the 500 block of 2nd Avenue. There, they found a victim, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Police and the Seattle Fire Department treated his injury. Medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.
Police determined that the victim just left a bar, getting into the passenger seat of his friend’s car, when the suspect, wearing a ski mask and armed with a firearm, approached him and demanded his necklace. They struggled over the item, and the suspect shot the victim in the leg. The shooter fled in a vehicle with the necklace before police arrived. The value of the “chain” is about $20.
Detectives in the Robbery Unit responded to the scene and HMC. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Incident Number: 2026-57536
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