KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is under investigation by the Department of Education. The investigation concerns potential violations of federal law, specifically Title IX.
Reports received by the Department of Education from school districts across Washington, including Kennewick, prompted the investigation. The department claims that allowing male athletes to compete in girls’ sports could violate Title IX. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) argues that Washington state law has prohibited discrimination based on gender identity since 2007.
They allow students to participate in school athletics according to their gender identity. The Department of Education is considering withdrawing federal funding if OSPI does not comply with the investigation.
Kennewick School Board President, Gabe Galbraith, expressed no surprise at Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s statement on the matter, saying, “It doesn’t surprise me. I mean, I expected, I think probably most anyone expected a statement like that… it is because he’s choosing not to follow, you know, federal laws.”
Galbraith hopes for a swift investigation and clarity on which laws should be followed. “We want to see a very quick and swift investigation and, we want to know what the determination is of that and what law, you know, I mean, everybody talks about precedent of this law, that law, federal state, right. We want to know what one we’re supposed to be following,” he said.
Superintendent Reykdal is firm in his stance. A press release regarding the investigation states, “The Department of Education is trying to co-opt laws enacted to protect students from discrimination and distort them into mandated discrimination… 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.”
The Kennewick School Board President emphasized the issue as a matter of trust. “There’s a trust level that parents have to have with schools and these radical ideologies that. Chris, right, at all and OSPI and the state of Washington are putting down are eliminating that trust,” he said.
The Department of Education plans to contact OSPI within one week to request documents and information for the investigation. OSPI maintains that they will adhere to Washington state laws until Congress or federal courts dictate otherwise.
For the full announcement of the investigation click here. For the response from the OSPI, click here.
