Holly Burns and a dozen other girls left a cross-country race in Washington on Tuesday.
They refused to compete with a male athlete who started the season running on the men’s team.
When the race began, half of the girls competing, as well as the male athlete, began running.
Burns and the other half of the girls slowly moved past the starting line, then headed toward the nearby tree line, sacrificing one of their high school competitions.
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Footage from the protest has since gone viral on social media, sparking widespread awareness of one of the trans athlete-related incidents currently ravaging Washington state.
For Burns, a Camas High School runner, the decision to protest was reinforced by strength in numbers. Her parents, Kevin and Sarah Burns, told OutKick that their daughter initially wanted to avoid “making waves.”
“She kind of wanted to play it safe, so we weren’t going to push it. We just let her feel things. We told her that. We supported her in whatever decision she was trying to make,” Kevins said.
Dad banned from school after protesting trans runner competing against daughter
But then her teammates started talking.
The girls shared their concerns. They decided to act together. And her parents supported her.
“The more I heard about his friends wanting to do something, the more I heard about his team wanting to do something, we were definitely in favor of that,” Kevin said.
“We told him, do what you think is best.”
The October 13 meeting pitted Camas against Battle Ground. Camas hosted the event on the Underwriters Lab campus, where the girls’ race was scheduled for 4 p.m.
The Burns said they recently learned of the athlete’s move to women’s competition. They worried about what it would mean for their daughter and her teammates.
“You hear about it, but you never think it’s going to be on your kid’s little cross country team,” Sarah said.
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A Camas High cross country runner, who moved from the boys’ team to the girls’ team mid-season, stands at the starting line of a girls’ race at the Nike Hole in the Wall XC Invitational. (Kick)
The Camas School District said it complies with Washington law and the eligibility rules of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.
For the Burns, this policy leaves their daughter’s concerns unaddressed.
“I don’t see how it’s okay to discriminate against my daughter and anyone’s daughters who are trying to compete fairly,” Kevin said.
Their own protest began before the girls left.
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They arrived with signs and security challenged them, the parents said.
“They said we’re not allowed to hold up signs at this event today,” Kevin Burns said. “I asked them if it was constitutionally legal, if we could express ourselves by just holding up a sign. And we kind of went back and forth between public property and private property. And in the end, it didn’t seem like they really knew what they could tell us to do or not to do.
“So I went ahead and held up my sign, and several security guards were following me and harassing me and telling me I should leave. And I just said, no, I’m not going to leave.”
A Camas High cross country runner, who moved from the boys’ team to the girls’ team mid-season, stands at the starting line of a girls’ race at the Nike Hole in the Wall XC Invitational. (Kick)
Other parents approached, they said. Some offered their support. Others said they agreed but feared the backlash that might follow by speaking publicly.
At one point, Sarah said she had a confrontation with a woman who identified herself as a psychiatric nurse.
“A lady came up to me and told me she was a psychiatric nurse and that I was a disgusting human for holding up that sign and that I was causing psychological harm to these children,” Sarah said. “I told him that one day I would have to stand before my Lord and Savior and that I would feel good about it.”
The Burns said they respected the girls who chose to run Tuesday. They thought some people wanted to preserve their chances of making the playoffs.
“I think they all have to make their own decision,” they said.
For Holly, they don’t yet know what time away means.
“Well, we don’t know yet,” they said when asked if the protest cost her a chance to achieve a goal she had been working on.
“But there’s a price for everything when you stand for what you believe is right, I think. If that wasn’t the case, then you’re really not standing for anything,” they said.
“His goal this season was just to have fun, compete and do his best.”
Now, her parents hope she can continue to pursue those goals while standing alongside her teammates.
There are still races left. Camas schedules its next championship meet Oct. 21 at Lewisville Regional Park.
Another decision awaits Washington voters on November 3.
Initiative 638 would prohibit students it defines as biologically male from participating in certain female-only interscholastic athletic competitions. This would require students wishing to participate in these competitions to provide verification of their biological sex from a health care provider.
The Burnses support the measure.
But even if voters approve it, the measure would take effect 30 days after the election. The Washington State Cross Country Championships are scheduled for November 7.
The athlete at the center of the dispute had previously competed in several women’s races.
On September 5, the runner finished 76th in a boys’ junior varsity race at the Ultimook meet in Oregon.
(L-R) Female athletes Frances Staudt, Bailey Andersen, Sadie Sullivan, Kendall Kotzmacher and Alanna Smith stand behind host and podcast host Brandi Kruse at a rally to protect fairness in girls’ sports in Vancouver, Washington. (Derek shook for OutKick)
On September 15, the runner competed in the women’s race at a Camas competition involving Skyview.
The Burnses had not spoken with the athlete or his family.
Their position, they said, was that the runner had to compete with the boys.
“Their child has every right to participate in men’s athletics, like they did at the beginning of the season, but it’s not fair to the girls,” they said in the interview.
Holly’s parents reject the idea that the stakes become petty because the athletes are in high school.
“Some of these girls work really hard to compete. That’s the main thing they do all summer. It means a lot to them,” they said.
They argued that losing opportunities can negate the rewards of that effort.
“Then it’s devastating for all the hard work. It erases everything they’ve done.”
The dispute is part of a broader conflict over Washington’s electability policies.
President Donald Trump’s executive order on February 5, 2025, directed federal agencies to protect women’s athletic opportunities and prioritize Title IX enforcement against federally funded institutions that require female athletes to compete against men in women’s categories.
Federal officials opened an investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in April 2025.
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal defended Washington’s protections. He said the state has allowed students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity since 2007 and would continue to enforce its laws unless Congress or federal courts change legal requirements.
Another sports dispute in Washington also went to the Supreme Court.
A high school wrestler identified in court filings as KMK and her mother, Stephanie Brown, have requested emergency relief, including advance notice and the ability to refuse to compete against male athletes without penalty.
The WIAA opposed the request in a filing Tuesday, arguing that the requested relief would conflict with state law and compromise the privacy of other students. The Supreme Court docket shows responses filed Tuesday and no decision on the request.
The Burns plan to continue showing up.
“So we’ve made some contacts and we might go ahead and have a more organized protest next time,” Kevin said.
When asked if they would return with more signs and shirts, the answer came quickly.
“Definitely. Yeah, we will.”
They also said they were willing to receive more national attention if it helped bring about change.
Some friends disagree with their position. The couple hopes these relationships can survive the dispute.
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“I think we can respect each other outside of controversy,” they said.
Their fears extend beyond a single race. They worry about the policy’s impact on college athletics, Olympic competitions and other women-only spaces.
“Women’s spaces will be erased,” they said.
For now, their daughter has chosen to stand alongside her teammates.
Her parents want other families to know they can speak up, too.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“Stand up for girls’ rights.”
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“Girls need their own space. They need their sports. They need their sports.”
OutKick reached out to Camas, WIAA, Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction and Battle Ground for comment. Battle Ground hosted the race.
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