FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington Parents Network files Title IX Complaint against Washington Superintendent, Chris Reykdal and Washington Governor, Bob Ferguson
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON – Today, February 28, 2025, the Washington Parents Network filed a 99 page Title IX Complaint against Washington Superintendent, Chris Reykdal and Washington Governor, Bob Ferguson to restore fairness in girls sports. The complaint was filed with the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. Our complaint seeks to enforce an important federal law, called Title IX, which was passed 53 years ago, to end discrimination against girls and women in educational and athletic programs that receive federal funding. Our complaint details numerous violations of Title IX that have occurred and continue to occur in Washington state on a daily basis.
For the past 8 years, Chris Reykdal and Bob Ferguson have falsely claimed that Title IX was not about protecting girls rights. Instead, they claimed that Title IX was about protecting the rights of biological males pretending to be girls to use girls bathrooms and participate in girls sports. In 2024, numerous federal courts rejected this crazy claim. In August 2024, the US Supreme Court specifically rejected this claim, unanimously agreeing that the word “sex” in Title IX referred to “biological sex” and not “gender identity.”
Then on January 9, 2025, in a case called Tennessee v Cardona, a federal court stated that the crazy claim that Title IX was about the rights of “biological males pretending to be girls” rather than the rights of “biological girls” would render Title IX to be “meaningless.” This judge ruled that all 50 states must immediately return to the original meaning of Title IX.
Sadly, since January 9, 2025, Chris Reykdal and Bob Ferguson, in numerous press conferences and statements, have continued to ignore, mischaracterize and violate Title IX. Specifically, they have continued to enforce Washington Policies 3211 and 3211 P - both of which are in direct violation of Title IX. Recently, Reykdal and Ferguson have falsely claimed that Washington state laws and policies have priority over federal laws.
Enough is enough. It is time for Reykdal and Ferguson’s 8 year war against the rights of girls and women to come to an end. It is time for Reykdal and Ferguson to immediately agree that Title IX has priority over any state law - and agree that Policies 3211 and 3211 P violate Title IX and are therefore null and void - and finally, agree to comply with Title IX by restoring the Title IX rights of biological girls and women in all educational and athletic programs in Washington state that receive federal funding.
This debate is not about how many billions of dollars the federal government can withhold from Washington schools should Reykdal and Ferguson continue to failed to comply with Title IX. This is about Reykdal and Ferguson honoring their Oath of Office – which requires that they both comply with federal laws – whether they argree with those laws or not.
As a 14 year old girl, who is one of our plaintiffs, has stated:
“I am speaking up, hoping that adults will step up and do what is right to protect and keep women’s sports fair and safe for biological girls.”
I urge anyone interested in protecting the rights of biological girls to read our complaint and determine for yourself whether Chris Reykdal and Bob Ferguson have been violating Title IX for the past 8 years.
In addition, if you are the parent of a child whose Title IX rights have been violated by Reykdal and Ferguson during the past 8 years and you would like to add your own declaration to our complaint, send us an email. We will gladly amend our complaint to add your concerns in the coming weeks.
To read our complaint, visit the following web page:
https://washingtonparentsnetwork.com/news/washington-parents-network-title-ix-complaint
To download a PDF of our complaint, to share with other parents, go to:
https://washingtonparentsnetwork.com/phocadownload/Washington%20Parents%20Network%20Title%20IX%20Complaint%202-28-25.pdf
About the Washington Parents Network
The Washington Parents Network is a volunteer association of more than 2,600 parents in Washington state whose goal is to protect the rights of parents and children.
For more information, contact:
David Spring M. Ed.
Director, Washington Parents Network