Transgender wrestler drops out of state finals as prosecutors weigh charges in alleged assault

A biological boy who identifies as a girl dropped out of the Washington high school wrestling state finals as prosecutors decide whether to bring charges against the student for allegedly sexually assaulting an opponent during a prior match.

The Emerald Ridge High School student withdrew from the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association girls’ wrestling championships that begins Thursday at the Tacoma Dome.

“I can verify that the [athlete] withdrew from the State Wrestling Championships later this week,” WIAA spokesperson Sean Bessette told the Tacoma News Tribune. “They were replaced by an alternate from the same WIAA District qualifying event.”

The girl who accused the transgender athlete of committing the sexual assault during their match will not be the alternate.

The accused wrestler’s decision to drop out comes as the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office considers charges after a law-enforcement investigation. 

Kallie Keeler, a 16-year-old student at Rogers High School, accused the Emerald Ridge wrestler of reaching between her legs and pressing firmly against her vagina during a Dec. 6 match. She said she didn’t learn that her 190-lb. competitor was male until after the match.

J425, a Seattle-based news outlet, said that the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office referred the case to prosecutors on a third-degree rape count, but the prosecutor’s spokesperson declined to comment on specific charges.

“We generally don’t preview what charges we may be contemplating,” said Adam Faber, communications manager for the prosecutors’ office, in a Wednesday email. “I can confirm that we have received a referral from the Sheriff’s Office regarding this incident.”

He added: “What we have received so far is the initial police report and the written statements of the other wrestler and her mother. We have asked the Sheriff’s detective assigned to the case for some follow-up investigation. I don’t know how long that will take.”

The incident drew national attention after the U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation into the Puyallup School District for potential violations of Title IX, including the district’s delay in referring the alleged assault to law enforcement.

Kallie and her parents said they immediately reported the incident to her coach, but that the district failed to contact the sheriff’s office until Jan. 30, a day after unDivided podcast host Brandi Kruse asked the district for comment.

A video from the match shows Kallie looking frantically at her mother and mouthing a message that she later said was, “Her fingers are in my [vagina].”

Kallie said she allowed herself to be pinned to bring an end to the match. As she sought out her coach immediately afterward to report the incident, she said she was told by another coach that her competitor was transgender.

In a statement, the district said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and “takes these allegations very seriously.”

“Because this is an active investigation, we cannot discuss details. Student safety remains our highest priority,” said the statement.

The incident comes ahead of a likely ballot fight over transgender athletes in Washington, which prohibits discrimination in education based on gender identity.

Last month, organizers with the citizens’ group Let’s Go Washington submitted 445,187 signatures to qualify the Protecting Fairness in Girls’ Sports initiative for the November ballot. The proposal would ban “biologically male” students from girls’ scholastic athletics.

“How many young women have to be assaulted, violated, bullied, mocked, or even sued before the state takes action to protect them?” said Brian Heywood, the group’s founder, in a statement.

Certainly Washington state has no shortage of transgender athletes.

Four other state school districts were hit with federal Title IX investigations last month for allowing transgender athletes to play on girls’ high school sports teams, including track, volleyball and bowling.