Also: Aberdeen falls to T-Birds; Elma sweeps Hoquiam; Pe Ell-Willapa Valley routs Raymond-South Bend Also: Hoquiam a man down in one-goal loss to Rochester Bulldogs catcher hits three-run home to beat Warriors 7-6 Image of a basketball game between Tumwater High School and Shelton High School which has led to a civil rights complaint being issued to the United States Department of Education over the participation of a transgender player player Frances Staudt said she opposed playing against a trans athlete because she worried that she may be injured Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Seattle Branch has opened an investigation into the Tumwater School District (TSD) after receiving allegations that the district is violating Title IX The investigation comes after the evaluation of a civil complaint filed to the DOE over the participation of a transgender player in a basketball game on Feb The allegations against the school district allege that male athletes were allowed to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics “OCR’s directed investigations of educational institutions and school districts demonstrates that the Trump Education Department will vigorously enforce Title IX to ensure men stop competing in women’s sports,” said Craig Trainor Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights “If Washington wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Department RELATED | Civil rights complaint filed after Tumwater High basketball game with transgender athlete which took place at Tumwater High School (THS) a transgender basketball player from Shelton THS player Frances Staudt said she opposed playing against Rooks because she worried that she may be injured Staudt told KOMO News that she and her mother believe athletes who are born female should always be given a heads-up when facing off against a transgender player “(School districts) should give these kids the opportunity to make (the decision to play)," said Aimee Staudt "If they would’ve given the families the opportunity in private and said we realize this was a volatile issue,' then we wouldn't have played that day." Staudt said she grew upset that Rooks was allowed to play during the Feb 6 game and admitted to misgendering Rooks in front of several people "I was put on the spot in the whole entire gym ‘You are a man,' because that is my first amendment right," Staudt said The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association ruled Staudt violated its code of ethics by misgendering Rooks This led Staudt to file a complaint to the Department of Education filed by the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) on behalf of Staudt also said she allegedly experienced sex discrimination and retaliation for speaking up against males in female sports “FAIR is thrilled that the Department of Education is opening a Title IX investigation of Tumwater School District in Washington All female student-athletes in Washington are entitled to feel safe in sports and enjoy a fair opportunity to compete,” said Monica Harris the Executive Director of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism “We deeply appreciate that schools and athletic associations are making efforts to create inclusive environments but we also feel strongly that these efforts must not erode long-standing sex-based rights that are intended to protect girls.” KOMO News reached out to the Rooks’ family for comment when the complaint was initially filed Rooks' father said the family only wanted to issue a statement we respect anyone who has the guts to stand up for what they believe in We also respect anyone who has the guts to live their authentic life," wrote Donnie Rooks those two things are in opposition but it does not change how we feel deserves the dignity of being depicted accurately especially on such a controversial topic." Washington state officials publicly announced plans to violate federal antidiscrimination laws related to girls’ and women’s sports Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal sent an email to all Washington public school superintendents on Feb 6 directing schools to “continue to follow state law” allowing male athletes to compete against girls TSD Board of Directors adopted a resolution that supported an amendment to WIAA policy on Feb The amendment would limit participation in the girls’ sports categories to students whose biological sex is female “State laws do not override federal antidiscrimination laws and TSD and their member schools remain subject to Title IX and its implementing regulations so long as they receive federal funds,” DOE said in a statement about the Title IX investigation Department of Education has launched a Title IX investigation into the Tumwater School District after a transgender girl from Shelton played in a high school girls’ basketball game last month The Seattle branch of the department’s Office for Civil Rights opened the investigation Friday This comes after the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism filed a complaint on behalf of a 15-year-old basketball player The complaint alleges the district discriminated against the player when it “deprived her of a fair athletic opportunity by allowing a male player on an opposing basketball team to compete against the student’s team.” The "male player" FAIR referenced is a transgender girl and does not identify as male the district “forced the student [for whom the complaint was filed] to withdraw from participation in the game,” and has led that student and her brother to be “subjected to intimidation and retaliation.” This comes weeks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order barring transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports is a national organization that campaigns against diversity and inclusion programs among others; the organization's website describes itself as “challenging threats to civil liberties from identity-based practices.” RELATED: How will Trump's ban on trans athletes in girls’ sports impact Washington state? the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association the state’s governing body for middle and high school sports said it would wait for legal guidance before making any changes State Superintendent Chris Reykdal called the order a federal overreach that “directly contradicts” state laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity Existing guidance from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction says “schools are required to allow all students including transgender and nonbinary students the opportunity to participate on the interscholastic sports team that most closely aligns with their gender identity.” a spokesperson in Reykdal’s office said they’re “concerned” by the investigation and will be monitoring it closely but will not be changing that guidance “unless the law changes.” RELATED: Seattle Children's halts gender-affirming surgeries after executive order threatens loss of federal funds Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a news release Monday that the investigation “demonstrates that the Trump Education Department will vigorously enforce Title IX to ensure men stop competing in women’s sports.” the Tumwater School District said officials “take this matter seriously and are committed to working with OCR to address the concerns in the complaint.” “Our priority has always been to create a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students “While we cannot discuss specific details due to confidentiality requirements we take all concerns seriously and remain dedicated to continuous improvement in our schools.” The district received notice of the investigation a day after the school board voted to support two proposals the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is considering that would limit how transgender youth can participate in sports RELATED: Trans students could be banned from competing in girls’ sports in Washington state One proposed rule change would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports The other would create a separate co-ed division that trans students could compete in instead The WIAA assembly is expected to vote on these proposals in April Current WIAA policy allows trans students to participate in sports programs consistent with their gender identity The policy was the first of its kind in the nation when it was established in 2007 Sami West is a reporter covering schools in Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound region She’s been on the education beat for over six years and has reported extensively on the countless ways COVID has impacted schools Her coverage has also focused on school finances the importance of early childhood education and the growing youth mental health crisis nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism player Frances Staudt said she opposed playing against a trans athelete because she worried that she may be injured — As the debate about transgender athletes continues to grow across the country a basketball game between Tumwater High School and Shelton High School has led to a civil rights complaint being issued to the United States Department of Education over the participation of a transgender player which took place on February 6 at Tumwater High School player Frances Staudt said she opposed playing against Rooks because she worried that she may be injured "Anyone that invades my privacy and protection as a girl Staudt added she and her mother believe athletes who are born female should always be given a heads up when facing off against a transgender player "If they would’ve given the families the opportunity in private and said Staudt said she grew upset that Rooks was allowed to play She then admitted to misgendering Rooks in front of several people ‘You are a man,' because that is my first amendment right," she said the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association ruled Staudt violated its code of ethics KOMO News reached out to Rooks for comment "As a family we respect anyone who has the guts to stand up for what they believe in Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions Search autocomplete is currently not responding the Olympic Discovery Trail will undergo maintenance and repairs 2025: Work will take place on the Olympic Discovery Trail Earth Day (April 22) is a time to celebrate the beauty of our environment and consider how we can protect it for future generations lasting impacts comes from the choices we make each day The City of Port Angeles is pleased to announce the early completion of the Road Improvement Project at Lincoln Park The road leading into and around the park has been resurfaced providing park visitors with smoother access .. 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A reminder to travelers who use US 101 in Port Angeles: a portion of the road will close beginning Monday US 101 between Tumwater Truck Route (State Route 117) and South Pine Cutoff Road will close for 80 days A signed detou... Application InformationApplicant: Lincoln Park BMX Association Proposal: Propose to have up to 3 mobile and itinerant vendors located on the property during events. Location: 1521 W Lauridsen Blvd, Port Angeles&nbsp...Read on... Application InformationApplicant: Port of Port AngelesProposal: The Intermodal Harbor Transfer Facility (IHTF) in Port Angeles, WA, supports the regional timber trade by handling wood fiber transport and storage. The Port is upgrading the facilit...Read on... Application InformationApplicant: City of Port Angeles Proposal: Updating PAMC 15.12 "Flood Damage Prevention," to meet state & federal requirements.Location: CitywideZone: All zonesPublic Notice:&nbsp...Read on... Phone: 360-457-0411Email UsMore contact info > US 101 at milepost 246.37 at Tumwater Creek is closed for 80 days The detour route is West Front Street/West 1st Street Marine Drive and Tumwater Truck Route (State Route 117) A more detailed detour map can be found under the Maps & Drawings tab The locations for culvert replacement are: US 101 at Tumwater Creek closed on Monday, March 3. The closure length is 80 days. The detour route will be SR 117 for vehicles Bicycles and pedestrians will use local roads to get around the closure Construction at Lees and Ennis Creeks on US 101 just outside Port Angeles began in March The speed limit at Lees and Ennis Creeks is reduced from 40 mph to 25 mph during construction There will be no daytime lane reductions at Lees and Ennis Creeks Travelers may see occasional nighttime one-way alternating traffic Work on Chimacum Creek will begin in the summer of 2025 Travelers can expect a long-term closure of SR 116 at the creek between Shotwell Place and Chimacum Creek Drive Irondale Road and Chimacum Road to detour around the closure WSDOT and the design-builder will coordinate with local agencies and emergency services to minimize delays and keep people moving through work zones Crews will correct barriers to salmon migration under SR 116 at Chimacum Creek beginning in Summer 2024 Ennis and Tumwater Creeks will begin in 2025 Replacing these outdated culverts and fish ladders with new structures will open up a combined 18 miles of upstream habitat for salmon spawning and rearing this work will remove significant velocity barriers for migrating fish species the in-stream work at all sites will incorporate natural components like logs and boulders to help stabilize the new channel and restore natural stream processes that have been disrupted since the culverts were installed when the highway was first constructed The new culvert and the natural elements will make it easier for fish to pass through the creeks They will slow the water and create a more natural creek environment Correcting fish passage barriers is an important part of the state's efforts to protect and restore fish runs negatively affected by outdated culverts under state highways In 2013, a federal court injunction required the state to significantly increase the state’s efforts in removing state-owned culverts that block habitat for salmon Automated financial tables are not available at this time travelers will use West Front Street/West 1st Street Marine Drive and State Route 117 to avoid the closure on US 101 a detour will take travelers around a closure on State Route 116  This culvert at Chimacum Creek on State Route 116 will be replaced beginning in the summer of 2024  This is an outdated fish ladder at Lees Creek near US 101. Removing the existing culvert and fishladder will provide fish access to an additional 7.01 miles of habitat upstream of the crossing US 101 at Ennis Creek. Removing the existing culvert will provide fish access to an additional5.56 miles of habitat upstream of the crossing  Learn how WSDOT is improving fish passage across Washington State Amy AmosProject Engineer360-874-3000amy.amos@wsdot.wa.gov Excessive speed was a top cause of work zone collisions in 2024 96% of people hurt in work zones are drivers   Sign up for email updates Subscribe to customized emails to help you know before you go