On October 9 and 10, the Camas High School girls’ cross-country team travelled some four hours north to Arlington, Washington, to compete in the Nike Hole in the Wall XC Invitational at Lakewood High School.
During the trip, a transgender athlete allegedly engaged in behaviour that made some female teammates uncomfortable, including an incident involving an ice bath in a hotel room shared by female team members.
The incidents prompted complaints from parents and athletes, the departure of several team members and a protest during the subsequent meet.
Men are larger and more powerful
If this is true, the alleged incidents add a layer of complexity to the argument that biological male athletes should not compete in women’s events. Biological males typically have 10 percent greater muscle mass and cardiovascular capacity and are generally larger on average.
Men generally produce a range from 265 to 923 ng/dL (and sometimes up to 1000 ng/dL depending on the laboratory and age) of testosterone, which is typically seven to 15 times more than biological women produce.
- Women produce a range from 15 to 70 ng/dL.
The key differences are that men produce testosterone primarily by the testes. In women, it is produced in smaller amounts by the ovaries, adrenal glands, and peripheral tissues.
Regarding childhood versus puberty levels, before puberty, boys and girls have very similar, low levels of testosterone; however, during male puberty, the testes drastically increase production, creating a distinct bimodal (non-overlapping) gap between adult male and female averages.
Apparently, male suppression of hormones does not fully even the playing field.
Athlete entered girls’ hotel room
According to accounts provided by family members and parents to Clark County Today, the athlete entered a hotel room occupied by three female team members. The athlete and two female students reportedly partially undressed, to their underwear and sports bras, before getting into an ice bath in the bathroom.
At least one female team member present reportedly felt uncomfortable with the situation. She later filed a complaint and left the team earlier this week.
“He did enter a family member’s room,” a source told Clark County Today. “She was rooming with two other girls. He entered with a couple of other girls. He proceeded to take an ice bath in the bathroom with two other girls. The team members consider the intrusion a violation of privacy.”
Other parents reportedly corroborated the account.
A second alleged incident occurred on the bus chartered by the Camas School District for the trip. According to allegations from team members, the athlete touched a female teammate and told her that “she could make him a lesbian.”
Team members have also alleged that the athlete has a history of touching female athletes.
Following the team’s return to Camas, several complaints were filed concerning the two incidents.
Investigator Dr. Timothy Yeoman reportedly interviewed eight team members. According to the subsequent report, the investigation did not dispute that the hotel-room and bus incidents had occurred. Instead, it focused on additional allegations of inappropriate behaviour and physical contact involving the athlete and other team members.
On Friday, the Camas School District provided Clark County Today with a copy of the report’s summary.
“The allegations (regarding inappropriate physical contact) that were brought to the attention of the Camas School District and Camas High School Administration appear to be false,” the investigator wrote. “They were directly refuted by information provided by the alleged victim. No other interviewee could provide information that factually substantiated either of the allegations.”
The findings, as reported, addressed the specific allegations of inappropriate physical contact. They did not establish that the reported hotel-room and bus incidents had not occurred.
The controversy has had an impact on the Camas girls’ cross-country programme. The team began the season with 45 runners. By the final regular-season meet, seven students had left the team, leaving 38 on the roster. Five of those departures reportedly occurred after the incidents during the Arlington trip.
On Tuesday, October 13, 12 members of the girls’ team refused to compete in a dual meet against Battle Ground in protest.
No team members were disciplined for their conduct during the weekend trip or for refusing to race on Tuesday.
Parents of the affected athletes remain dissatisfied with the school’s handling of the situation. They have reportedly raised concerns about investigators repeatedly asking female athletes whether they “hate trans people.”
Some parents have accused the school of paying an independent firm to produce findings that effectively dismiss their concerns and leave the complaints without further consequences.
