An open division offers an opportunity to participate but does n’t identify or discriminate.
A high school track coach in Oregon is now suing the area after reportedly being fired for proposing a distinct competitors division for trans athletes.
Riley Gaines reported on X that Coach John Parks has won the state final three times in a row under the guidance of Lake Oswego High School.
Parks ( pictured ) claims he was fired after receiving a letter regarding Oregon state law, which allows transgender athletes to play on teams that “always align with their gender identity,” according to KATU.
The contest guidelines for the Oregon Student Activities Association must be in line with what the rest of the world uses, according to Parks in a letter to OSAA Executive Director Peter Weber. ” My proposal to encourage transgender participation is to provide an open division that is so named so it does n’t identify or discriminate but offers an opportunity to participate.”
Parks said he” supports transgender athletes and does not want them to be excluded”, adding he does n’t want transgender females athletes “booed” when competing in ( biological ) girls events.
According to the Lake Oswego Review, Parks especially noted that” OSAA’s existing policies on transgender athletes, particularly those that relate to athletes born as natural males who are allowed to contend as females,” were flawed and threatened the integrity of female sports.
Less: ‘ Crying out for justice ‘: Female athletes reimburse NCAA over’ harmful’ transgender policies
Parks was fired following a complaint from Portland Public Schools Athletic Director Marshall Haskins , ( pictured ), who alleged the track coach “had contacted students, families and other coaches” about the current transgender policy.
Haskins even asserted that Parks sent an message to the OSAA to” specifically prevent a particular student-athlete from competing at the state record meet.”
Parks ended up being charged with violating Lake Oswego’s laws regarding equality, “hazing, intimidation, harassment, bullying, menacing, cyberbullying, teenager dating murder or domestic murder”.
Parks denies Haskins ‘ claims.
Parks ‘ lawsuit, filed by the Liberty Justice Center, claims the Lake Oswego School District and Lake Oswego School Board violated the coach’s First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights, the latter due to” conduct]ing ] an unlawful retaliatory investigation and subsequent firing”.
The World Athletics Council made a decision in March 2023 that” trans athletes who have gone through female puberty does not engage in international women’s events,” and World Aquatics established an “open section” that” all sex and gender identities” may engage in.
On the monitor and in the classroom, Parks claimed to be” a voice for equitable and equitable treatment for individuals with a wide variety of sex and sexual names.”
Coach Parks was fired, falsely accused of discrimination, denied an allure, and retaliated against, according to LJC Senior Counsel Buck Dougherty, just for exercising his constitutional right to free speech as a personal citizen.
Less: U. Chicago study: Two-thirds of U. S. people oppose trans females in women’s sports
IMAGES: KATU/X, Portland Public Schools
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