The debate over athletes competing in divisions that do not match their sex took another contentious turn in Washington State after a father who objected to the policy received a criminal trespass notice following a peaceful protest at a track-and-field event at Camas High School.
The controversy intensified because the athlete at the center of the dispute had moved from the boys’ team to the girls’ team during the season.
On September 5, the athlete placed 76th in a boys’ junior-varsity cross-country race. By September 29, the athlete had won a varsity girls’ meet against Union High. Critics argued that the midseason change raised serious questions about competitive fairness and whether such a move should be permitted.
The incident also prompted criticism from those who say peaceful protest is protected as a constitutional right, regardless of the viewpoint being expressed:
BREAKING: The father of a female cross-country runner has been served a criminal no trespass order by the Camas School District. Joel Retzlaff held up a sign in protest over his daughter having to race against a boy. pic.twitter.com/EerQXsEBeY
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) October 8, 2026
Retzlaff held up a sign displaying “XX/XY” but put it away when security instructed him to do so. As he walked toward his car, he chanted, “Keep boys out of girls’ sports.” He was subsequently issued the notice and barred from campus for one year.
The punishment has fueled further debate over whether schools are applying their rules consistently to different forms of protest.
OutKick reporter Matt Calkins visited Camas High School and spoke with an assistant cross-country coach, who told him, “Nobody wants to talk to you. I’m trying to be nice.”
However, Calkins also encountered community members who said the issue was not as politically uniform as it might appear:
“We’re about as liberal as it gets. I just don’t agree with that [boys competing against girls]. I mean, if they find your body in 300 years, what are they going to say you were,” Kent Lake of Lake Stevens, Washington, told the outlet. “Look, you can live any way you want. You got my blessing. But I mean come on, in competitions? It’s like stock car racing. It’s gotta be even, and it’s gotta be fair.”
Another parent expressed similar concerns:
“When I first heard about this story, I was like, ‘Is this real? That can’t be real,’” said the mother of a cross-country runner who requested anonymity.
READ MORE: Rep. Mary Miller Introduces Bill to Protect Parents Opposing Child Gender Transitions
“We have daughters, and it’s robbing them of an opportunity to compete,” she added.
OutKick reported speaking with several other athletes and parents who were frustrated by the situation, although many declined to be identified or spoke only privately. Others took a different view, arguing that competitive results were not the only consideration in youth sports. “There are more important things in sports than that,” one person said.
🚨 A BOY FINISHED SECOND IN A GIRLS’ JV CROSS-COUNTRY RACE. At the Nike XC Portland Invitational, Camas High freshman Logan Mihailoff placed second out of 195 runners in the girls’ junior-senior JV race. He had competed on the boys’ JV team earlier this season.
How can ANYONE… pic.twitter.com/amYyPKdAsR
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) October 5, 2026
The result prompted critics to ask how the policy could be defended as fair to female competitors.
Some commentators have questioned whether every athlete who competes in a girls’ category is doing so because of gender dysphoria, while others have speculated—without evidence in this case—that competitive advantages, trophies, or college scholarships could be motivating factors. Those claims remain disputed.
When asked why she, her sister, and her father decided to speak out, Retzlaff’s daughter told OutKick, “Because if we don’t, no one else will. If we start something, maybe others will have the courage to join.”
Her statement captures the broader divide over eligibility rules, fairness, safety, and the limits of protest in school athletics.
When teenagers keep proving themselves to be far braver and make much more sense than many of the adults surrounding them, you know it’s time for change.
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