Let’s make one thing very clear: signing up for girls’ wrestling is in NO way a permission slip for sexual assault.
As
@ADFLegal explained in our lawsuit: “Digital penetration falls outside the scope of implied consent to participating in athletics because, under normal circumstances of girls wrestling, it is not a reasonably foreseeable hazard from the perspective of a girl wrestler. Nor is sexual assault or groping generally accepted by society as part of any lawful athletic contest.”
Also: girls who sign up for girls’ wrestling aren’t consenting to wrestle boys. Kallie Keeler was betrayed by multiple adults in authority, who knowingly allowed her to wrestle a male without her knowledge or consent. They bear responsibility for what happened to her—and they are continuing to put female wrestlers in harm’s way through their actions and policies.
That’s why, besides suing governing bodies
@wiaawa,
@waOSPI, and the Puyallup School District, we’re also suing:
- State superintendent Chris Reykdal
- Kallie’s principal
- Her school district’s Title IX coordinator
- Her opponent’s coach
… and not just in their official capacities, but as individuals.
I’m also glad to hear the local prosecutor is reportedly still considering action against those who failed to report the sexual assault, as required by law. These mandatory reporters should have reported the incident within 48 hours but waited 53 days. They should face consequences.
We won’t rest until Kallie gets justice—and girls in Washington state get their sports back.