{"id":2614353,"date":"2026-06-15T17:12:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawsuit-washington-state-violated-title-ix-by-allowing-trans-student-to-assault-female-athlete\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T17:16:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:16:30","slug":"lawsuit-washington-state-violated-title-ix-by-allowing-trans-student-to-assault-female-athlete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawsuit-washington-state-violated-title-ix-by-allowing-trans-student-to-assault-female-athlete\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawsuit: Policy Enabling Trans Athletes To Assault Girls Is Illegal"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flawsuit-washington-state-violated-title-ix-by-allowing-trans-student-to-assault-female-athlete%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2614353&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A lawsuit filed by Alliance defending Freedom (ADF) alleges that a male athlete identifying as female sexually assaulted 15-year-old high school wrestler Kallie Keeler during a December tournament in Washington state. The complaint claims <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-says-school-hiding-kids-gender-transitions-doesnt-shock-the-conscience-throws-out-parent-lawsuit\/\" title=\"Federal Judge Says School Hiding Kids\u2019 ... Transitions Doesn\u2019t \u2018Shock The Conscience,\u2019 Throws Out Parent ...\">school officials failed<\/a> to inform Keeler about her opponent\u2019s gender beforehand and delayed reporting the assault for over two months, violating state law. Keeler\u2019s account states that during the match, her male opponent forcibly penetrated her with his finger, and she only learned her opponent was male afterward. Due to policy restrictions preventing her from being warned or protected, Keeler decided to quit wrestling for safety reasons. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >lawsuit challenges current policies allowing transgender athletes<\/a> to compete in female sports, arguing they put young women at risk and discriminate under Title IX. Several authorities, including the WIAA and local education agencies, have not responded to inquiries. The case is part of broader ongoing investigations by the U.S. Department of Education into whether such policies violate federal law, including multiple civil rights complaints filed earlier. These legal actions come amidst national debates and pending supreme Court cases over the rights of transgender athletes in women\u2019s sports.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>This story includes a description of a sexual assault.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A male athlete identifying as female sexually assaulted high school athlete Kallie Keeler in a December wrestling tournament, according to a new lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).\u00a0The lawsuit, <em>K.M.K. v. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association<\/em>, alleges that school officials failed to tell Keeler ahead of time that she would be matched against a male opponent and failed to report the assault for weeks after it happened. <\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/adflegal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/kmk-v-washington-interscholastic-activities-association-2026-06-09-complaint.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complaint<\/a>, filed last week, asks the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington for a permanent injunction barring males from competing in women\u2019s athletics, alleging that the current practice violates Title IX and discriminates against young women by requiring them to choose between athletic participation and their physical safety. Named among the defendants are the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), which hosted the event and regulates athletic competitions under state law; the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state\u2019s primary education agency; the Puyallup School District; and Keeler\u2019s wrestling coach.<\/p>\n<p>Keeler, who was 15 at the time, was unknowingly matched with a male athlete at a\u00a0high school girls\u2019 wrestling tournament in Washington state in 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/adfmedia.org\/case\/k-m-k-v-washington-interscholastic-activities-association\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to ADF. During the match, the male competitor forcibly penetrated her with his finger, at which point Keeler shouted out in horror and allowed her opponent to win to end the match, the lawsuit states. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KristenWaggoner\/status\/2064883699427020925?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Video<\/a> of the incident appears consistent with Keeler\u2019s account. <\/p>\n<p>Keeler didn\u2019t find out her opponent was male until a different team\u2019s coach told her after the fact, ADF alleges. Her mother, Stephanie Brown, immediately reported the assault with video evidence of the match to coaches and school staff.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, \u201cfor days and days and days, absolutely nothing happened,\u201d Hal Frampton, senior counsel at ADF, said in a June 11 interview with The Federalist\u2019s M.D. Kittle on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/podcast\/426-the-vicki-mckenna-show-27246267\/episode\/vicki-mckenna-show-a-hideously-false-equivalency-with-guest-host-matt-kittle-336591512\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vicki McKenna Show<\/a>. ADF says the school district didn\u2019t notify law enforcement of the assault until 53 days after it happened, violating the state\u2019s mandatory 48-hour reporting law.<\/p>\n<p>The school district told Keeler and Brown that its policy on transgender athletes would remain the same, according to ADF. \u201cIf she goes back to wrestling, they can match her again against a male athlete, and they will not tell her or her mother in advance,\u201d ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson told The Federalist. Without a change in the policy, Keeler decided to quit wrestling for the rest of the season. \u201cKallie would love nothing more than to be able to wrestle again in an environment that is fair and safe to her \u2026 but she\u2019s not going to do it if she\u2019s not going to be safe,\u201d Frampton said.<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist asked the WIAA if the association intends to continue forcing women like Keeler to compete with men, as ADF alleges. Director of Communications Sean Bessette responded that \u201cThe WIAA is aware of the complaint and does not comment on pending litigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist also asked the superintendent of the Puyallup School District about the allegations that school employees failed to promptly address the alleged assault and that staff are prohibited from notifying female athletes that their opponent is male, but did not receive a response. Likewise, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Rogers High School did not respond when asked about the alleged Title IX violation.<\/p>\n<p>According to a 2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/ospi.k12.wa.us\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-08\/title-ix-three-part-test-handout-pdf.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">handout<\/a>, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction interprets state <a href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/wac\/default.aspx?cite=392-190-025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">law<\/a> as requiring schools to let \u201ctransgender and nonbinary students \u2026 participate on the interscholastic sports team that most closely aligns with their gender identity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ADF <a href=\"https:\/\/adfmedia.org\/case\/k-m-k-v-washington-interscholastic-activities-association\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">argues<\/a> the school district, the WIAA, and the state put Keeler in danger and prevented her mother, Brown, from protecting her. \u201cKallie\u2019s mom was in the gym with her daughter, but she could not protect her because the district\u2019s written policy\u00a0prohibits\u00a0notifying parents or anyone else when their daughters will be matched against male athletes,\u201d Anderson said in a press release. A <a href=\"https:\/\/ospi.k12.wa.us\/policy-funding\/equity-and-civil-rights\/resources-school-districts-civil-rights-washington-schools\/gender-inclusive-schools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">policy<\/a> listed on the state education agency\u2019s website under the title \u201cGender Inclusive Schools\u201d directs school employees not to \u201cshare a student\u2019s transgender or gender-diverse status, legal name, or sex assigned at birth with others.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Keeler] was sexually assaulted because of political cowardice,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cWashington state officials insist on pushing gender ideology at all costs\u2014even at the expense of girls\u2019 safety and privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In February, the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) initiated an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.gov\/about\/news\/press-release\/us-department-of-education-investigates-washington-state-school-district-over-alleged-sexual-assault-of-female-wrestler-male-competitor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investigation<\/a> into whether Keeler\u2019s school district violated Title IX by \u201callowing males to compete in female sports\u201d and \u201cfailing to adequately respond to allegations of sexual assault.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before Keeler\u2019s alleged assault, ADF had already <a href=\"https:\/\/adflegal.org\/press-release\/adf-files-civil-rights-complaints-to-protect-female-athletes-parents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">filed<\/a> at least two complaints with the DoE\u2019s Office for Civil Rights regarding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spanberger-record-tagged-as-democratic-socialist\/\" title=\"Spanberger record tagged as \u2018Democratic Socialist\u2019\">school transgender policies<\/a>. One involved two young women in Washington state who were forced to compete against males. The two track-and-field athletes, Soleil Hoefer and Kora Lengerich, both faced a male student who had won the previous year\u2019s state championship for the girls\u2019 400-meter.<\/p>\n<p>The complaints, filed in April 2025, argued that the inclusion of male athletes violated Title IX and <a href=\"https:\/\/adflegal.org\/press-release\/adf-files-civil-rights-complaints-to-protect-female-athletes-parents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">urged<\/a> DoE \u201cto open an investigation and obtain compliance with federal law, or, if necessary, rescind federal funding.\u201d Two days later, DoE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/us-department-education-and-us-department-justice-announce-title-ix-special-investigations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opened<\/a> a special Title IX investigations team along with the Justice Department. Just a few months earlier, President Donald Trump had signed an executive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">order<\/a> to \u201crescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This year, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases, <em>Little v. Hecox<\/em> and <em>West Virginia v. B.P. J.<\/em>, relating to transgender athletes. At issue in those cases are state laws prohibiting males from competing in women\u2019s sports. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are true differences between men and women in terms of strength and many other things,\u201d Anderson told The Federalist. \u201cWe should honor those differences.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Male athlete, identifying as female, assaulted Kallie Keeler<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4304,"featured_media":2614354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/keeler9-scaled-1-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[40890,54428,33512],"class_list":["post-2614353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-gender-policies","tag-sports-law","tag-trans-athletes"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/keeler9-scaled-1-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2614353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4304"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2614353"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2614353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2614357,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2614353\/revisions\/2614357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2614354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2614353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2614353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2614353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}