Trump admin investigates WA school district after female teen wrestler alleges trans competitor sexually assaulted her during match

The Department of Education announced on Friday that its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating a report out of Washington state in which a female wrestler alleged that a trans-identified male opponent sexually assaulted her during a wrestling competition match.

"We are investigating this report that a female athlete was sexually assaulted by a male opponent during a wrestling match. Too many women have been injured, harassed, & deprived of opportunities they work hard for. Title IX is the law — follow it or face consequences," Secretary Linda McMahon said.

In a press release, the Department of Education said that Washington’s Puyallup School District is being investigated for whether it violated Title IX "by allowing males to compete in female sports, allowing males to access locker rooms designated for use by female students, and failing to adequately respond to allegations of sexual assault." The Department of Education said that "the alleged violations are ongoing and well known to school leaders, with at least a dozen female athletes having complained to administrators about the presence of two males in the girls’ locker room."

The investigation stems from a December 6 match between 16-year-old Kallie Keeler and a trans-identified male wrestler. A few minutes into the match, Keeler said that the transgender wrestler put his fingers in her vagina. A video of the match, obtained by independent journalist and host of unDivided Brandi Kruse and filmed by the girl’s mother, showed the girl appearing distressed during the match. She ended the match by letting her opponent pin her.

After the match, Keeler found out that her opponent had been transgender. "I was really shocked," she said. Her parents emailed the coaches at her school two days after the match to find out what was going to be done about the matter. A response from the coaches said, "I most certainly would not put Kallie on the mat if I thought she was competing with a male. I will investigate this and look to see if we have a video on our end. I will touch base with you either this afternoon or tomorrow morning after I do my due diligence." However, the family said it never heard back.

It was after unDivided emailed the school two months later for comment on the story that they said the incident was under investigation. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office told unDivided, "Last week, the School Resource Officer reviewed a video of the match, and he will be following up with the victim this week for further information. This is being investigated and is still active."