Camas High School runners walk out of cross-country meet

Nearly half of the girls' cross-country team at Camas High School in Washington staged a walkout during a recent meet. The protest occurred after the school assigned a male athlete, who had previously competed on the boys' team, to the girls' squad.

As the starting gun sounded, approximately a dozen runners, including Holly Burns, stepped away from the starting line and walked toward a nearby tree line rather than competing. Participants reported that the athlete had switched to the girls' team approximately one month prior and has since placed highly in competitions.

The Camas School District stated that it is following state laws and athletic eligibility requirements regarding the inclusion of the athlete. The protest follows a similar incident last month involving runners from Skyview High School. Some participants reportedly used messages such as ‘Keep women in women’s sports’ during their demonstration.