Editorial: Vashon’s kids are on the line

Battles over the rights and dignity of our students aren’t theoretical.

Battles over the rights and dignity of transgender people and immigrants are no longer limited to the theoretical debates and the culture wars of television talking heads and newspaper opinion pages.

President Donald Trump’s slew of executive orders, cabinet appointments and other actions during his first week back in office have brought these issues roaring into communities across the country — ours included.

A front page story in this week’s Beachcomber details laudable action by the Vashon Island School District (VISD) board to belatedly enact policy required by the Keep Washington Working (KWW) legislation, passed by our state legislature in 2019. In many ways, this legislation, championed by then attorney general and current Governor Bob Ferguson, foresaw the era we have now entered.

Last week, the Trump administration revoked prior guidelines, in place for the past 15 years, that have barred most immigration enforcement actions from taking place in “protected locations” including schools and churches — making the passage of VISD’s new policy absolutely essential.

We urge both speed and diligence in the district’s next step: mandatory training of all school staff on how to follow the policy. There is no room for error by a single VISD staff member if Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers show up at Vashon schools.

We also applaud the board for standing firm in their opposition to proposed rule changes regarding transgender youth participation in sports being considered by Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The nonprofit body governs sporting activities in the state, including in our Nisqually League. (See page 3 for our news coverage and this page for the school board’s commentary on the matter.)

The rule changes — variously barring transgender girls from participation in girls’ sports and/or creating a separate division intended for transgender athletes — are likely to spark legal action if enacted. They flatten the existence of intersex students, portend the risk of invasive and privacy-violating medical evaluations of children seeking to participate in sports, and risk drawing further ire upon transgender and non-gender-conforming students.

We know families in our state are divided over the best ways to ensure fair play and respect for athletes of all genders. That’s why we hope the WIAA rejects these proposals, which fail to serve our students and our district.