A coalition of child safety advocates, educators, and law enforcement officials gathered at Franklin High School Thursday to oppose two ballot initiatives they argue would fundamentally alter how Washington schools protect vulnerable students, particularly those from LGBTQ+, immigrant, and unstable family backgrounds.
The press conference, organised by WA Families for Freedom, focused on Initiatives IL 26-001 and IL 26-638, measures the coalition characterises as dangerous rollbacks of student privacy protections and non-discrimination policies that have been state practice for years.
Libby Watson, campaign manager for WA Families for Freedom, framed the initiatives as direct attacks on students who rely on schools as safe spaces when their home environments are hostile or dangerous. “These measures would attack vulnerable kids by dismantling critical protections that exist precisely because some students cannot safely be open about their identities or experiences at home,” Watson stated.
Initiative IL 26-001 would repeal significant portions of Washington’s Safety Act, legislation designed to protect student privacy and ensure schools can serve as trusted institutions where young people can seek help without fear of retaliation. Under the proposed changes, schools would be required to inform parents about students’ LGBTQ+ identity disclosures, even when counselors or administrators have reason to believe such disclosure would place the student at risk of abuse, rejection, or homelessness.
The initiative would also mandate that schools share students’ reports of domestic violence and sexual abuse with their parents or guardians, a requirement opponents argue fundamentally misunderstands the dynamics of family abuse. When the alleged abuser is a parent or guardian, notifying them of a child’s abuse report essentially warns perpetrators that their victim has sought help, potentially escalating danger whilst giving abusers opportunity to intimidate the child into recanting.
Additionally, IL 26-001 would make it more difficult for students to access mental health services through school-based resources by requiring parental notification and consent in situations where current law allows counselors discretion to provide support when they believe parental involvement would harm the student. The measure would also eliminate non-discrimination protections specifically designed to shield immigrant, neurodiverse, homeless, and LGBTQ+ students from harassment and unequal treatment.
Initiative IL 26-638 addresses transgender participation in school athletics but includes provisions opponents characterise as invasive and potentially dangerous. The measure would replace the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s policy governing transgender student athletes, which has been in place since 2007 and allows transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity after meeting specific criteria, with a categorical ban on transgender girls competing in girls’ sports.
More controversially, speakers at Thursday’s press conference warned that IL 26-638 could require students as young as 11 to undergo physical examinations of their reproductive organs if their gender is questioned by coaches, administrators, or other students. This provision, opponents argue, creates mechanisms for harassment of any female athlete whose appearance doesn’t conform to stereotypical expectations, whilst establishing procedures that sexual predators could exploit.
Jorge Torres, recognised as Washington’s 2024 School Counselor of the Year, explained how the initiatives would undermine the professional role counselors play in supporting students through academic challenges, family crises, mental health struggles, and identity development. “School counselors are trained to assess risk and provide appropriate support whilst maintaining student trust,” Torres stated. “These initiatives would restrict our ability to create safe, inclusive environments where students feel comfortable seeking help when they need it most.”
Several speakers drew on decades of professional experience investigating child abuse and supporting domestic violence survivors to explain why the initiatives’ mandatory disclosure requirements could prove dangerous.
Carma Clark, a retired police detective and member of the LGBTQ+ community, stated the measures would place vulnerable students at heightened risk through both the mandatory outing provisions and the invasive examination requirements. “As someone who spent years investigating crimes against children, I can tell you that these provisions create opportunities for abuse whilst making it harder for victims to get help,” Clark stated.
Elizabeth Wareing, a police detective with 30 years of experience investigating child abuse and domestic violence cases, focused particularly on IL 26-638’s examination requirements. “This initiative would force girls to expose their genitals to adults if they don’t have birth certificates or other documentation readily available,” Wareing stated. “This would disproportionately affect children who don’t have documentation, including immigrant children, children in foster care, and homeless youth.”
Wareing emphasised that sexual predators frequently position themselves in authority roles precisely because such positions provide access to vulnerable children and create situations where abuse can be framed as legitimate professional activity. “Creating a system where adults can demand that children expose their genitals for inspection opens obvious pathways for predatory behavior,” she stated.
Amarinthia Torres, co-executive director of the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence, explained how the initiatives would particularly harm queer and trans youth who lack supportive home environments. “Many LGBTQ+ young people rely on schools as the only place where they can safely be themselves and access support,” Torres stated. “These measures would eliminate that refuge, cutting vulnerable kids off from the adults and resources that may be keeping them alive.”
Torres, who has spent 20 years supporting survivors of gender-based violence, noted that LGBTQ+ youth already experience disproportionately high rates of family rejection, homelessness, and suicide attempts. “These measures would place already-marginalised communities at even greater risk during a developmental period when they’re particularly vulnerable,” she stated.
Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington, the organisation sponsoring the initiatives, responded to the coalition’s press conference with a statement disputing their characterisations. “It’s shocking to us that the teacher’s union is funding efforts to keep secrets from parents and to destroy girls’ sports,” Heywood stated. “As for the dishonest representation of the facts, it’s clear that WFF is fighting a losing battle because of how grossly they have lied about the initiatives.”
Heywood noted that current law already requires students to receive physical examinations before participating in sports, suggesting the coalition is misrepresenting IL 26-638’s examination requirements. “Maybe we should focus on the fact that teachers’ money is being spent to keep secrets from parents,” Heywood stated. “That doesn’t say ‘freedom’ or ‘family’ to us.”
