Overview

• Reese Eckard of Sherwood High and Alexa Anderson of Tigard High stepped off the medal podium during the girls’ high jump ceremony at the state championship on June 1 rather than stand next to a transgender athlete.
• The Ida B. Wells High competitor tied for fifth place and had previously raced in the boys’ division in 2023 and 2024, drawing scrutiny from fellow athletes.
• Video shows the two seniors facing away and walking off after an official gestured for them to return, with Anderson saying they acted to protect fairness in girls’ sports.
• On May 27 the America First Policy Institute filed a Title IX complaint against Oregon, triggering a U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights probe into high school sports policies in five states.
• Women’s sports advocates, including Riley Gaines, lauded the protest on social media, reflecting a string of similar demonstrations in California, Washington, Maine and Minnesota.