Washington state parents Kevin and Sarah Burns watched their daughter, Holly Burns, join about a dozen girls who walked away from a cross-country race Tuesday rather than compete against a male athlete who began the season on the boys’ team, as reported [1] by Fox News.
When the race started, half of the girls and the male athlete began running. Holly and the remaining girls slowly crossed the starting line before walking into a nearby tree line, sacrificing one of their high school competitions.
Footage of the protest spread widely across social media, drawing national attention to the dispute over male athletes entering girls’ sports in Washington. For Holly, a Camas High School runner, support from teammates helped solidify her decision.
BREAKING: Nearly half of a Washington state girls cross country team walked off the starting line rather than race a biological male who switched to the girls team in the middle of the season.
Two runners who staged their own walkout told Fox they painted “Keep women in women https://t.co/GECLyJdWnz
— THE Q_ Storm (@The_QStorm) October 14, 2026 [2]
Her parents said Holly initially did not want to make waves. Kevin said, “She wanted to kind of play it safe, so we, we weren’t going to push it. We just kind of let her kind of feel it out. We told her that. We supported her whichever decision she tries to make.”
As more girls discussed taking action, the Burns family became increasingly supportive. The athletes shared their concerns, decided to protest together, and stepped away from the competition as a group.
The Oct. 13 meet matched Camas against Battle Ground at the Underwriters Lab campus, with the girls’ race scheduled for 4 p.m. The Burnses said they had only recently learned that the athlete had moved into girls’ competition.
“You hear about it, but you just never think it’s going to be on your kid’s small cross-country team,” Sarah said. Camas School District has said it follows Washington law and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association eligibility rules.
Those assurances did not resolve the family’s objections. Kevin said, “I don’t see how it’s OK to discriminate against my daughter and the daughters of everyone else that is trying to fairly compete.”
The parents arrived at the meet carrying signs, but they said security challenged them and told them signs were not allowed.
Kevin questioned whether that restriction was constitutional and continued holding his sign despite security guards following him and telling him to leave.
Other parents approached the couple during the meet. Some expressed support, while others said they agreed with the Burnses but feared the backlash that could follow if they publicly voiced their position.
Sarah said a woman who identified herself as a psychiatric nurse called her a disgusting human and accused her of causing psychological damage.
Sarah responded, “I told her that one day I’m gonna have to stand before my Lord and Savior and I’m gonna feel good about this.”
The Burnses said they respected the girls who chose to run, noting that some may have wanted to preserve their chances of reaching postseason meets. They also do not yet know what Holly’s decision to sit out could cost her.
“But there’s a cost to everything when you stand up for what you believe is right, I think. If there wasn’t, then you’re not really standing up for anything,” they said.
More races remain on the schedule, including a Camas championship meet listed for Oct. 21 at Lewisville Regional Park.
Washington voters also face a Nov. 3 decision on Initiative 638, which would prohibit students defined as biologically male from entering certain female interschool athletic competitions.
The initiative would require students seeking entry into those competitions to provide biological sex verification from a healthcare provider.
Even if voters approve the measure, it would take effect 30 days after the election, while Washington’s state cross country championships are scheduled for Nov. 7.
The athlete had already participated in several girls’ races. On Sept. 5, the runner placed 76th in a boys junior varsity race at the Ultimook meet in Oregon, but by Sept. 15 was competing in a girls race at a Camas meet involving Skyview.
The Burnses said they had not spoken with the athlete or the athlete’s family. Their position is that the runner should compete in boys athletics, as the athlete did at the beginning of the season, rather than entering girls competition.
The dispute comes amid a broader conflict over Washington eligibility policies. President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5, 2025, executive order directed federal agencies to protect female athletic opportunities and prioritize Title IX enforcement involving federally funded institutions that require female athletes to compete against males in women’s categories.
Federal officials opened an investigation into Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in April 2025. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal defended state protections, saying Washington had permitted students to participate according to gender identity since 2007 and would continue enforcing state law unless Congress or federal courts changed the requirements.
A separate Washington sports dispute has reached the Supreme Court. A wrestler identified as K.M.K. and her mother, Stephanie Brown, requested emergency relief that included notice and an opportunity to decline competition against male athletes without penalties.
The WIAA opposed that application Tuesday, arguing the requested relief would conflict with state law and compromise student privacy. The Supreme Court docket showed responses had been filed Tuesday, but no ruling had been issued.
Kevin said the family may organize another protest and return with more signs and shirts. For now, Holly is standing alongside her teammates, and her parents want other families to know they can speak publicly as well.
“Girls need their own space. They need their sports. They need their athletics.”