Track coach dumped after raising transgender-athlete concerns sues school district

An Oregon high school track coach who was dismissed after proposing the creation of an “open” division for transgender athletes has filed a First Amendment lawsuit to get his job back.

John Parks was dropped as head track-and-field coach at Lake Oswego High School after he raised objections to a biological male competing at the girls’ state championships and suggested the formation of a third category for transgender competitors.

“Trans athletes have a right to compete, but their bodies have major physical advantages over other students,” said Mr. Parks, who described himself as a “staunch defender of transgender rights.”

“Oregon’s current policies subject these kids to so much politicization, and that’s a failure by the administration,” he said in a Thursday statement. “We have to find a better way to allow all student athletes to compete. For that to happen, we need these matters discussed, not silenced.”

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon included a June 12 letter from the high school principal saying that his yearly contract would not be renewed because his “actions towards a transgender athlete” violated the district’s non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.

“As an educational institution, we are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all students,” said principal Kristen Colyer. “In light of these findings, the Lake Oswego School District has decided that the District cannot support your actions and behaviors.”

In a May 15 email, Mr. Parks urged the Oregon School Activities Association to revise its transgender-eligibility policy, saying it had “major flaws,” and predicted the participation of a transgender athlete from McDaniel High School would be a “major distraction.”

Mr. Parks did not name the athlete, but McDaniel sophomore Aayden Gallagher, a male-to-female transgender student, won the girls’ 200-meter title and placed second in the 400-meter at the May 18 OSAA girls’ state track-and-field championships.

“The OSAA already has state meet events for para athletes in wheelchair and Unified competition,” Mr. Parks said in the email. “The solution to trans athletes is to have an open category like a gender neutral bathroom. Allows competition opportunities but doesn't make a mockery of the reason females compete in their own category.”

A week later, Marshall Haskins, OSAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee representative, accused Mr. Parks in a letter to district officials of seeking to “deny our [transgender] student’s participation at the state tournament and to create a hostile environment to shame our student.”

Mr. Parks said he sought to appeal his dismissal, but the district rebuffed his efforts.

The Washington Times has reached out to the Lake Oswego School District for comment.

Mr. Parks, who began coaching at Lake Oswego in 2023, has an impressive resume: He has coached nine Olympic and world championship medalists and 16 NFL football players. His Lake Oswego track team won the 6A girls’ state championships in 2023 and 2024.

The lawsuit seeks to “restore his coaching position and to uphold his First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights,” according to the Liberty Justice Center, which represents Mr. Parks.

“Coach Parks was retaliated against, falsely accused of discriminatory behavior, denied an appeal, and fired — just for exercising his constitutional right to free speech as a private citizen,” said Buck Dougherty, center senior counsel. “We are proud to stand up for his constitutional rights through this lawsuit, and we look forward to holding the District and the Board accountable for this egregious violation of free speech and due process.”