The family of a female wrestler in Washington state is suing school districts and education officials over allegations that the teenager was sexually assaulted by a transgender opponent during a December match.
Attorneys working on behalf of the girl’s mother, Stephanie Brown, and a Christian non-profit group, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed the lawsuit in US District Court in Tacoma on Tuesday. Neither wrestler is named in the lawsuit, but the ADF has identified Brown’s daughter as Kallie Keeler, who was 15 at the time of the alleged assault.
According to the lawsuit, Keeler was unwittingly matched up with a transgender rival at a meet. Had she been informed about this by officials, the filing claimed, Keeler ‘would not have taken the mat.’
The lawsuit goes on to allege that Keeler’s opponent sexually assaulted her by digitally inserting their fingers through Keeler’s spandex during the bout.
‘And during the match, the male athlete sexually assaulted [Keeler], shoving his fingers through her spandex clothing, digitally penetrating her vagina, and holding the position for several seconds,’ read the lawsuit obtained by The Daily Mail. ‘Visibly distressed, [Keeler] shouted to her mother, who was videorecording the match, that the opponent’s fingers are ‘in my c***hie!’
‘To stop this, [Keeler] allowed the male wrestler to pin her. Shortly afterward, she found out the athlete was male—and felt violated all over again.’
Footage of the alleged incident was captured on a phone, but authorities haven’t filed charges
As reported by the New York Sun, prosecutors declined to pursue charges last week, claiming the allegations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The lawsuit goes on to allege that officials have ignored the family’s complaints.
The Daily Mail has sought comment from defendants, including the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Puyallup School District, a Rogers High School principal and an Emerald Ridge High School wrestling coach.
Spokespeople for the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the WIAA declined to comment.
A Puyallup spokesperson told Fox News that the district had not yet been served with the complaint before issuing a similar statement.
‘We are aware of the allegations referenced in your inquiry and are reviewing this matter; however, because this matter involves student privacy considerations and anticipated litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time,’ the statement read.
The WIAA does allow student athletes to participate in sports based on gender identity rather than biological gender. State law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, putting Washington at odds with President Donald Trump’s executive order demanding that transgender athletes be barred from girls’ amateur sports.
Long known for her opposition to transgender athletes in girls’ sports, Harry Potter author JK Rowling called the situation ‘appalling’ this week.
‘I want those who champion men in women’s sport to explain why they’re happy to put girls at risk like this,’ she wrote Thursday on X.
Although Keeler has left the sport, she and her mother are suing so ‘no one else has to go through this,’ according to this week’s lawsuit.
