Seattle board targets challenge to ban on males in girls’ sports; TN judge backs Christian charter school 

Seattle’s school board voted this week to authorize a potential legal challenge to Washington’s newly approved ban on males competing in girls’ school sports.

Washington voters approved Initiative 638 six days earlier with about 56% support.

The board voted unanimously to authorize Superintendent Ben Shuldiner to hire attorneys and file a court challenge if he chooses, although the vote does not guarantee the district will sue.

Previously, Washington allowed students to join sports teams based on their self-selected gender identity. Initiative 638 bases eligibility for girls’ teams on anatomical sex.

The law bars males from female-only school competitions in sports with separate male and female categories. Students seeking to compete in those girls’ events must provide a signed statement from their doctor confirming their sex.

Providers will complete the statement as part of routine sports physicals, the Legislature’s summary explains. They will base their determination on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or naturally produced testosterone levels.

Seattle’s board opposed the measure in September.

Board member Joe Mizrahi said officials believe the measure “conflicts with many, many other laws in the Washington books,” KIRO 7 reported. He also raised concerns about the state constitution.

“Getting some clarity when there is confusion will be beneficial as we move forward,” board President Gina Topp said, according to FOX 13.

The law takes effect next month. Topp said the board’s vote will not prevent it from taking effect.

Seattle activist Amy Sousa, who opposes transgender ideology, criticized the board’s move.

“We fought really hard to stand up for fairness for our girls,” she told reporters.

Other Washington school boards have pushed to protect girls’ sports, including Kennewick’s board, which backed a plan to reserve the girls’ category for females while creating an open category for other athletes, as Heartlander News previously reported.

Court opens door for Christian charter school in Tennessee

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Tennessee blocked a school board from rejecting a Christian charter school because of its religious character.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Charles E. Atchley Jr. ruled that the Knox County school board cannot enforce Tennessee’s secular charter school requirement against Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville.

His permanent order applies to future application cycles. The board can still reject Wilberforce’s application for other reasons, however.

Atchley, an appointee of President Donald Trump, wrote that “the State cannot condition participation on the surrender of a constitutionally protected right, no matter how the program is described.”

He noted that private organizations operate Tennessee’s charter schools. The state cannot open its charter program to those groups while excluding religious organizations because they intend to teach their faith, he ruled.

Heartlander News covered the lawsuit last December. Wilberforce planned to serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school would require Christian staff but accept students of all faiths.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti also argued that the state’s ban on religious charter schools likely violated the First Amendment.

Wilberforce Executive Director Zach Wishart welcomed the ruling.

“This victory is bigger than a courtroom ruling,” he said.

Wishart said the school hopes its case will help other Christian groups establish tuition-free charter schools in Tennessee.

(Featured image: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner)