Washington state’s top school official says girls upset about competing against a transgender athlete should either race anyway or walk off the track, because teenage brains “aren’t going to fully develop until they’re 25.”
Quick Take
- State Superintendent Chris Reykdal defended Washington’s policy letting students compete based on gender identity during a radio interview on October 16, 2026.
- Reykdal told girls upset by a transgender competitor they could either race or “walk off and make a statement.”
- Camas School District Superintendent John Anzalone said girls who protested will face no punishment.
- Voters decide Washington’s Initiative 638, which would restrict school sports by biological sex, on November 3.
Superintendent Doubles Down On Radio
Chris Reykdal appeared on the Seattle radio show “Jake and Spike” and brushed off concerns from girls competing against a transgender runner. “I don’t see it that way, Jake. I just don’t,” Reykdal said. “These are young, developing people whose brains aren’t going to fully develop until they’re 25.”
Reykdal then laid out what he sees as the only two options for girls who object to racing against a male competitor. “You’re going to compete and do the best you can and embrace your colleagues, or you’re going to walk off and make a statement,” he said. “And that’s okay, too.” Fairness, in his telling, isn’t on the table at all.
No Punishment For Protesting Athletes
The comments followed a cross-country meet in the Camas School District, where roughly a dozen girls reportedly walked off before a race involving a transgender competitor. Camas Superintendent John Anzalone backed the protest, saying “the girls are entitled to handle this however is best for them.” He confirmed there would be no consequences for the walkout.
One athlete from Camas switched teams partway through the season amid the dispute, though the full details of that move and any effect on race results have not been independently documented. The incident has become a flashpoint in a state where cross-country and track programs are now grappling with the same policy question Reykdal was defending on air.
State Agencies Stand Behind Current Policy
Washington’s school sports governing body, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), says it’s simply following state law. The WIAA said it remains committed to a Washington statute that lets student-athletes compete consistent with the gender they identify with. Reykdal’s office, known as the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, said it will keep enforcing that same law unless lawmakers or voters change it.
That last part matters. Washington voters won’t have to wait on the legislature to weigh in. Initiative 638 is headed to the November 3 ballot, and it would require school sports eligibility to be based on biological sex rather than gender identity. The timing puts Reykdal’s comments directly in front of voters deciding the policy’s fate in a matter of weeks.
A Fight Over Fairness, Not Just Feelings
Reykdal’s brain-development line answers a question nobody asked. The debate over girls’ sports isn’t about whether teenagers can handle disappointment maturely. It’s about whether biological males should compete against biological females in the first place, given real physical differences in strength and speed. Telling girls to simply “embrace” the situation or quit the race sidesteps that question entirely.
This fits a pattern seen across the country, from Connecticut’s track controversies to ongoing court fights over Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools. Courts have repeatedly found that separating sports by biological sex doesn’t violate that law. Washington families now have a direct vote on whether their state will follow that same standard, and Reykdal’s comments have only sharpened the stakes heading into November.
For now, girls in districts like Camas are left with the two choices Reykdal described: compete under a policy they say is unfair, or walk away and hope someone notices. Initiative 638 gives Washington voters a third option — changing the rule itself.
Sources:
redstate.com, noticias.foxnews.com, aol.ca, foxnews.com
