LYNDEN, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Lynden School District could take the state to court over its policies on gender discrimination.
The district’s Board of Directors passed a resolution on Thursday night authorizing superintendent David VanderYacht to initiate legal action against the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
The resolution states that OSPI has overreached its authority in enforcing gender inclusivity rules, particularly in athletics.
The school board also plans to submit formal complaints to the Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Attorney General over the state’s conflicts with federal Title IX requirements. It claims that complying with state law could violate Title IX and force the district to lose federal funding.
My Bellingham Now previously reported that the district proposed two amendments to the WIAA, including one that would offer an “open division” for transgender student athletes outside of “boys and girls.”
But the WIAA was told by multiple state agencies earlier this month that those amendments would violate state law.
