Washington girls walk off cross country meet in protest of male athlete, parents reveal how it came to this

Holly Burns and about a dozen other girls walked away from a cross-country race in Washington on Tuesday.

They refused to compete against a male athlete who had started the season racing on the boys’ team.

When the race began, half of the girls competing, and the male athlete, took off running.

Burns and the other half of the girls slowly walked forward past the starting line, and then into the nearby tree line, sacrificing one of their high school competitions.

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Footage of the protest has since gone viral across social media, igniting widespread awareness for one of the trans athlete incidents currently plaguing Washington state.

For Burns, a Camas High School runner, the decision to protest was reinforced by strength in numbers. Her parents, Kevin and Sarah Burns, told OutKick their daughter initially wanted to avoid "making waves."

"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," Kevins said.

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But then her teammates began talking.

The girls shared their concerns. They decided to act together. And her parents backed her.

"The more I heard about her friends wanting to do something, the more I heard about her team wanting to do something, we definitely were in support of that," Kevin said.

"We told her, do what you think is best."

The Oct. 13 meet pitted Camas against Battle Ground. Camas hosted the event at the Underwriters Lab campus, where the girls’ race was scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Burnses said they learned about the athlete’s move to girls’ competition recently. They worried about what it would mean for their daughter and her teammates.

"You hear about it, but you just never think it’s going to be on your kid’s small cross-country team," Sarah said.

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A Camas High cross country runner, who switched from the boys team to the girls team midseason, stands at the start line of a girls race in at the Nike Hole in the Wall XC Invitational. (OutKick)

Camas School District has said it follows Washington law and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association eligibility rules.

For the Burnses, that policy leaves their daughter’s concerns unresolved.

"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," Kevin said.

Their own protest began before the girls walked off.

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They arrived with signs, and security challenged them, the parents said.

"They said that we’re not allowed to hold up signs at this event today," Kevin Burns said. "I questioned them if that was constitutionally legal, if we could express ourselves by just holding a sign. And we kind of went back and forth about public versus private property. And in the end, it didn’t seem like they really had a grasp on what they could tell us to do or not.

"So I just went ahead and held up my sign, and they had several security guards following me and pestering me and telling me that I would have to leave. And I just said, no, I’m not going to leave."

A Camas High cross country runner, who switched from the boys team to the girls team midseason, stands at the start line of a girls race in at the Nike Hole in the Wall XC Invitational. (OutKick)

Other parents approached, they said. Some offered support. Others said they agreed but feared the backlash that could follow speaking publicly.

At one point, Sarah said she had a confrontation with a woman who identified herself as a psychiatric nurse.

"I had a lady that came up to me and said she was a psychiatric nurse and that I was a disgusting human for holding up this sign and that I was doing psychological damage to these children," Sarah said. "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 race Tuesday. They believed some wanted to preserve their chances of competing in postseason meets.

"I think they all have to make their own decision," they said.

For Holly, they do not yet know what sitting out will mean.

"Well, we don’t know that yet," they said when asked whether the protest cost her a chance at something she had worked toward.

"But there’s 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.

"Her goal this season was just to have fun and compete and do the best that she could."

Now her parents hope she can keep pursuing those goals while standing alongside her teammates.

More races remain. Camas lists its next championship meet for Oct. 21 at Lewisville Regional Park.

Another decision awaits Washington voters on Nov. 3.

Initiative 638 would prohibit students it defines as biologically male from competing in certain female-only interschool athletic competitions. It would require students seeking to enter those competitions to provide verification of biological sex from a healthcare provider.

The Burnses support the measure.

But even if voters approve it, the measure would take effect 30 days after the election. Washington’s state cross-country championships are scheduled for Nov. 7.

The athlete at the center of the dispute had already competed in several girls’ races.

On Sept. 5, the runner finished 76th in a boys’ junior varsity race at the Ultimook meet in Oregon.

(From left to right) Female athletes Frances Staudt, Bailey Andersen, Sadie Sullivan, Kendall Kotzmacher and Alanna Smith stand behind emcee and podcast host Brandi Kruse at a Protecting Fairness in Girls' Sports rally in Vancouver, Washington. (Derek Shook for OutKick)

By Sept. 15, the runner was competing in the girls’ race at a Camas meet involving Skyview.

The Burnses had not spoken with the athlete or the athlete’s family.

Their position, they said, was that the runner should compete with boys.

"Their child has every right to participate in the boys athletics, just like they did at the beginning of the season, but it’s not fair to the girls," they said during the interview.

Holly’s parents rejected the idea that the stakes become insignificant because the athletes are in high school.

"Some of these girls work really hard to compete. It’s most of what they do all summer long. It means a lot to them," they said.

They argued that losing opportunities can undo the rewards of that effort.

"Then that’s devastating to all the hard work. It erases everything they’ve done."

The dispute unfolds against a broader conflict over Washington’s eligibility policies.

President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5, 2025, executive order directed federal agencies to protect female athletic opportunities and prioritize Title IX enforcement against 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 Washington’s protections. He said the state had allowed students to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity since 2007 and would continue enforcing its laws unless Congress or federal courts changed the legal requirements.

A separate Washington sports dispute has also reached the Supreme Court.

A high school wrestler identified in court filings as K.M.K. and her mother, Stephanie Brown, have requested emergency relief, including notice and an opportunity to decline competition against male athletes without penalties.

The WIAA opposed the application in a filing Tuesday, arguing that the requested relief would conflict with state law and compromise other students’ privacy. The Supreme Court’s docket showed the responses filed Tuesday and no ruling on the application.

The Burnses plan to keep showing up.

"So we made a few contacts and we might go forward with that and have a more organized protest the next time," Kevin said.

Asked whether they would return with more signs and shirts, the answer came quickly.

"Definitely. Yeah, we will."

They also said they were prepared for greater national attention if it helped bring change.

Some friends disagree with their position. The couple hopes those relationships can survive the dispute.

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"I think we can respect each other outside of the controversy," they said.

Their fears extend beyond one race. They worry about what the policy means for college athletics, Olympic competition and other spaces reserved for women.

"Women’s spaces will be erased," they said.

For now, their daughter has chosen to stand with her teammates.

Her parents want other families to know they can speak up, too.

"Don’t be afraid."

"Stand up for girls’ rights."

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"Girls need their own space. They need their sports. They need their athletics."

OutKick reached out to Camas, WIAA, Washington Superintendent for Public Instruction and Battle Ground for comment. Battle Ground hosted the race.