Transgender Athlete’s Chehalem Classic Win Sparks Title IX Conflict in Newberg

By Rebecca Wallis

Newberg, OR – April 21, 2025

A transgender high school athlete’s first-place finish in the girls’ high jump event at the Therapeutic Associates Chehalem Classic on April 18, 2025, has become the center of heated debate in Newberg and across the country. The event, held at 2:00 PM at Newberg High School, drew multiple high schools from around Oregon. As the host of the meet, Newberg School District may now find itself in the crosshairs of shifting federal enforcement priorities.

The athlete’s gender identity, not performance alone, has placed Newberg in the national spotlight amid a growing legal and cultural clash between state-level inclusion and federally redefined sex-based protections.

Title IX and the Legal Landscape

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program receiving federal funds. The law has historically been used to protect women’s sports and ensure equal opportunities, but its application to transgender athletes has shifted dramatically in recent years.

On February 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14201, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” It mandates that schools receiving federal funding must prohibit transgender girls and women from participating in female sports categories, interpreting Title IX strictly on the basis of biological sex.

“It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, and to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.”
— Executive Order 14201, Sec. 1

Federal Enforcement Shift: DOE Aligns with Executive Order

On February 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a directive confirming that it will now enforce Title IX under the 2020 Title IX Rule, following a federal court ruling that vacated the 2024 rule. This removed gender identity protections from the federal enforcement framework.

“No portion of the 2024 Title IX Rule is now in effect in any jurisdiction.”
— Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

Shortly thereafter, OCR launched formal Title IX investigations into Portland Public Schools (PPS) and the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) for allowing a transgender athlete to compete in girls’ track and use the girls’ locker room. According to the Department of Education’s official press release:

“We will not allow the Portland Public Schools District or any other educational entity that receives federal funds to trample on the antidiscrimination protections that women and girls are guaranteed under law.”
— Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights​

This marks a significant escalation, signaling that school districts and athletic associations across the country, including those in Oregon, are now being investigated for policies that were previously deemed inclusive.

Oregon’s Inclusive Approach

Despite federal changes, Oregon continues to protect transgender students under state law. The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) permits athletes to compete in accordance with their consistently asserted gender identity, a policy created with the Oregon Department of Education and detailed in the OSAA handbook, 2024-2025, p. 81.

Locally, Newberg School District has codified gender identity protections through multiple district policies, including Policy ACB, “All Students Belong,” which affirms students’ rights to a school experience free from discrimination based on gender identity.

“All students are entitled to a high quality educational experience, free from discrimination or harassment based on perceived… gender identity.”
— Newberg SD Policy ACB

Policy Comparison: Newberg, Oregon, and the Federal Government

Newberg School District Policy (Local)
Supports transgender inclusion and prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
— Policy ACB: All Students Belong

OSAA Gender Identity Participation Policy (State)
“The OSAA endeavors to allow students to participate for the athletic or activity program of their consistently asserted gender identity while providing a fair and safe environment for all students.”

Executive Order 14201 (Federal)
“It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities…”
— Executive Order 14201, Sec. 1

What Happened at the Chehalem Classic

During the girls’ high jump event at the Therapeutic Associates Chehalem Classic, a transgender female athlete from an out-of-district school placed first. The athlete’s name is not being published due to the student’s minor status.

Newberg High School, as the host, followed all OSAA and state rules. However, under current federal policy, participation by a transgender female in a female-designated event may now be viewed as a violation of Title IX.

Implications for Newberg

With federal investigations already underway in Portland, Newberg may be next in line. Although no complaints have been publicly filed, Executive Order 14201 and OCR’s directive suggest proactive enforcement is now a priority.

Should Newberg be investigated or found noncompliant, its federal education funding could be jeopardized, including money that supports Title I programs, school meals, and disability services. The district now faces a dilemma: comply with state law or risk federal consequences.

Legislative Efforts: SB 618

In response to national pressure, Oregon Senate Bill 618 was introduced in early 2025. It would have required athletic competitions to be designated by biological sex and barred biological males from participating in female sports. The bill also included provisions for students and school districts to sue if harmed by violations.

However, SB 618 stalled in the Senate Education Committee and did not advance, leaving Oregon’s inclusive policies unchanged​.

A Local Event, A National Crossroads

Newberg has previously been at the heart of politically charged debates, including the 2021 controversy over classroom political symbols. Now, it finds itself again in the national conversation, this time at the intersection of athletics, gender identity, and federal law.

Whether enforcement comes to Newberg next remains to be seen, but the Chehalem Classic may ultimately represent more than a track and field meet. It could be a defining case in the larger debate over state rights, federal authority, and student inclusion in public schools.

Editor’s Note: Yamhill County News reached out to Newberg School District for comment prior to publication. No response was received.

Photo Credit: Yamhill County News File