Girls on the Camas High School cross-country team in Camas, Washington, forfeited their race on Tuesday, October 13, rather than run against a teammate who is a boy.
Commentator Brandi Kruse posted video of the walk-off, shot by Amy Sousa, saying that nearly half of the girls' team refused to compete. The video shows a group of girls in team uniforms leaving together as the race goes on without them. By Tuesday night the post had been seen more than 360,000 times.
From 76th in boys' JV to first in girls' varsity
The runner started this season on the boys' team. According to OutKick:
- September 5: he finished 76th in a boys' JV race.
- Then, midseason, he switched to the girls' team.
- September 26: he finished second among 195 girls at a race in Portland.
- September 29: he won a girls' varsity race in a dual meet against Union High School.
- October 10: at the Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational in Arlington, he finished 39th of 135 in the girls' elite 5K in 18:36.8. OutKick noted that the same time would have placed him last of 159 in the boys' elite race, by about 30 seconds.
A parent at that meet put it simply: "Whether they finish first, 40th or 90th, they're still taking the spot of a girl."
Under the rules of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the switch is allowed. A boy only has to declare a female identity. No coach, school or WIAA official has explained publicly why he moved to the girls' team, and Camas coaches declined to speak to OutKick.
Girls from other schools protested first
This is not the first protest. At a Camas home meet on September 15, Skyview High runners Charlie Garrett and Sierra Retzlaff stepped to the start line wearing body paint that read "Keep women in women's sports," then walked off the course once the gun went off.
"It comes down to biology and the spots being taken away from Sierra, me and all the girls," Garrett told OutKick.
Sierra's father, Joel Retzlaff, brought signs reading "Please only XX competing with XX, XY competing with XY. Keep it fair." He was asked to leave over WIAA's no-signs rule, and later chanted "Keep boys out of girls sports!" while driving past the venue. The Camas School District then gave him a criminal trespass notice banning him from district property for a year. The superintendent says it was a safety decision because Retzlaff drove through a taped-off area.
"I would beg to ask them where all the adults are that know the difference between a boy and a girl and why they're letting this happen," Retzlaff said.
Last month, two girls from rival Skyview High walked off the course rather than race him. Now nearly half the girls on his own Camas team have done the same.
Washington votes November 3
On November 3, Washington voters decide on [Fairness in Girls' Athletics (I-638)](/news/2026-09-28-washington-i-638-girls-sports), which would keep K–12 girls' sports for females. Meanwhile, Washington is already defending its policy at the U.S. Supreme Court in the K.M.K. case, brought by a girl whose filings say a male wrestler sexually assaulted her.
These girls shouldn't have to give up their own race to get adults to do their jobs. Girls' sports are for girls.
Sources
- Brandi Kruse on X — video of the Camas forfeit, by Amy Sousa (October 13, 2026)
- OutKick — Dad banned from school grounds after protesting trans runner competing against his daughter (October 9, 2026)
- OutKick — A cross country runner switched to the girls team midseason (October 12, 2026)
- Clark County Today — Skyview girls share the reason for their decision not to compete against biological male
Related: Fairness in Girls' Athletics would keep K–12 girls' sports for females
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