Rep. Bobby Levy and Oregon women legislators ask OSAA to change policy

NORTHEAST OREGON — Local state representative Bobby Levy (R-Echo) joined other women of the House and Senate Republican Caucuses to send a letter to OSAA Executive Director Peter Weber, urging the OSAA Board of Directors to take immediate action to protect equal rights of women in high school sports by only allowing biological women to compete in girls’ sports. 

This letter comes after a high school transgender student-athlete recently performed well during girls races at a track and field event in Sherwood.

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Mr. Weber,

We write to you today as women who have had the honor of making significant achievements in our respective lives and who use those achievements to serve the people of Oregon. We have worked to live up to the examples of the women who came before, and we strive to be an example to the young girls who will be here after us.

It is in this context that we bring to your attention the unfortunate situation that transpired at McDaniel High School in Sherwood this past weekend. Ayden Gallagher, a male student, competed in the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic in the girls’ division, placing top ten in three competitions.

Policy 38, “Gender Identity Participation” (Page 80) of the 2023-2024 OSAA Handbook says that your gender identity rule “promotes harmony and fair competition among member schools”.

Sadly, this policy has precisely the opposite of its stated effect. Instead of promoting harmony, it has sparked outrage. Instead of ensuring fair competition, a biological male has found a place in the female sports record books. Any girls’ title held by a male is not a girls’ title at all.

This policy leads us to conclude that the OSAA and the State of Oregon do not deem girls and girls’ sports worthy of protecting and that the records they set are not meaningful. Additionally, this policy creates opportunities for male students who are unable to compete at the highest levels against their male peers to compete instead in female sports and break records that are rightfully held by girls.

We hope that you can provide a solution to the families seeking answers about why the OSAA doesn’t feel girls’ sports should be a safe space for biological females to compete and succeed.

In the meantime, we are left with no choice but to pursue the following actions:

1. Seek a statutory change via legislation in the 2025 Session to remove all records set by male students allowed to compete in girls’ sports and award those achievements to the biological female student(s) who should have received the record or award. This will include a special report OSAA will be required to issue recognizing these corrected Achievements.

2. Encourage parents and girls in Oregon to stand up to your miscarriage of duty by withdrawing from competitions in which male athletes are allowed to participate until such time as the OSAA rescinds its unfair “gender identity” policy.

It brings us significant pain to see girls’ achievements go unrecognized because of your policy. We hope that you will not only join us in finding a solution to this matter, but also see the need to protect girls’ spaces and accomplishments.

Signers included:

Senator Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer)

Senator Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook)

Representative Christine Goodwin (R-Canyonville)

Representative Anna Scharf (R-Amity)

Representative Bobby Levy (R-Echo)

Representative Emily McIntire (R-Eagle Point)

Representative Kim Wallan (R-Medford)

Representative Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville)

Representative Jami Cate (R-Lebanon)

Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany)

Representative Tracy Cramer (R-Gervais)

Representative Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville)

In a statement to Elkhorn Media Group, the OSAA says, “The OSAA received this letter today and we’ll be consulting with our Executive Board and with counsel in order to provide a response to these legislators.”

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Elkhorn Media Group

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