Washington AG's office indicates it will defend girls' sports ballot measure after ACLU sues to block it
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office indicated it will fight to uphold a new voter-approved measure barring biological males from girls’ school sports, after the ACLU of Washington and other groups announced a lawsuit to block the measure.
Key points
- Plaintiffs include TransFamilies, the Washington Education Association and parents of transgender and nontransgender students who participate in girls’ sports.
- Let’s Go Washington, the organization behind the initiative, disputed the lawsuit’s claims Tuesday and argued existing sports physicals could satisfy the medical verification requirement.
- It is discrimination, and it threatens all girls who play sports at school," the ACLU said in its announcement.
JACKSON THOMPSON: SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD AUTHORIZES LEGAL CHALLENGE TO BALLOT MEASURE PROTECTING GIRLS' SPORTS He argued that sports participation benefits children’s physical and emotional well-being and that excluding students based on gender identity perpetuates discrimination.
Additional details
- "I believe strongly in protecting the rights of all Washington kids—including transgender youth," Brown said in his office’s announcement of that amicus brief.
- Brown’s office also said it does not serve as legal counsel to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association or local school districts.
- Pacifica Law Group, where Brown previously served as a partner, is representing the Washington Education Association in the challenge, according to the Northwest Progressive Institute’s account of the filing.
- The union’s political action committee was also among Brown’s campaign donors, according to The Spokesman-Review’s 2024 candidate profile, which cited Washington Public Disclosure Commission information.
- Brown’s policy director, Enoka Herat, previously served as the ACLU of Washington’s policing and immigration policy program director.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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