High school seniors Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson step down from medal ceremony in protest, sparking debate over transgender inclusion in women’s sports
Two female high school athletes made headlines Saturday night when they refused to stand on the medal podium alongside a transgender competitor at the Oregon state track and field championships in Eugene.
Reese Eckard of Sherwood High School and Alexa Anderson of Tigard High School, both seniors, stepped down from their respective spots on the high jump podium and turned away as medals were being distributed to the winners.
PODIUM PROTEST CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Footage obtained by Fox News Digital showed the dramatic moment when Eckard, who finished fourth, and Anderson, who placed third, left their positions on the podium next to a transgender athlete from Ida B. Wells High School who had tied for fifth place.
The two female athletes faced the opposite direction as other competitors received their medals from officials. An event official was then seen confronting the young women and gesturing for them to move away from the area. Eckard and Anderson subsequently walked away from the podium and stood off to the side.
‘THIS ISN’T RIGHT’
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Anderson explained their decision: “We didn’t refuse to stand on the podium out of hate. We did it because someone has to say this isn’t right. In order to protect the integrity and fairness of girls sports we must stand up for what is right.
The transgender athlete, identified as Lia Rose, had competed in boys’ track and field divisions as recently as 2023 and 2024 before switching to the girls’ category this year.
GROWING TREND OF PROTESTS
The Oregon incident is part of a growing trend of female athletes using symbolic gestures to protest transgender inclusion in women’s sports in 2025:
- May 17: Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School in California stepped from the second-place spot onto the first-place medal podium after her trans opponent, AB Hernandez, stepped down from it at a track and field sectional final
- April 2: Women’s fencer Stephanie Turner knelt to protest a trans opponent at a competition in Maryland and was subsequently punished, sparking viral attention and scrutiny of USA Fencing
RILEY GAINES WEIGHS IN
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has become a prominent advocate for protecting women’s sports, shared the footage on social media, writing: “Watch this. Two female athletes in Oregon refused to stand on the podium because a boy was awarded a place. Girls have had enough.”
The post quickly went viral, with many praising the athletes’ courage while others debated the fairness of transgender inclusion in sports.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS LOOM
The protest comes as the Trump administration has made combating transgender athletes in girls’ sports a priority. President Donald Trump signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order on February 5, 2025.
The Department of Education opened a Title IX investigation into Portland Public Schools on March 25 for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports. The U.S. Department of Justice has already launched a lawsuit against Maine for defying Trump’s executive order, and the president suggested that federal funding pauses could be coming for states that continue to allow transgender athletes in women’s sports.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
Jessica Hart Steinmann, executive general counsel and vice chair of the Center for Litigation at the America First Policy Institute, issued a statement supporting the athletes:
Every girl deserves a fair shot – on the field, on the podium, and in life. When state institutions knowingly force young women to compete against biological males, they’re violating federal law and sending a devastating message to female athletes across the country.
PREVIOUS CONTROVERSY
Earlier this year, Rose had won first place in the Portland Interscholastic League women’s high jump event in April, jumping 4 feet 8 inches and defeating the runner-up by two inches. The victory sparked controversy and contributed to the federal Title IX investigation.
DIVIDED REACTIONS
The protest has divided public opinion, with supporters praising the athletes for standing up for fairness in women’s sports, while critics argue the gesture was unnecessarily hurtful to the transgender athlete.
The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident or any potential consequences for the protesting athletes.
NATIONWIDE DEBATE CONTINUES
As similar protests occur across the country, the debate over transgender inclusion in sports shows no signs of resolution. Oregon joins California, Minnesota, Maine, and Massachusetts as states potentially facing federal investigations for Title IX violations related to transgender athletes in women’s sports.
The incident highlights the ongoing tension between inclusive policies and concerns about competitive fairness in women’s athletics, a debate that continues to play out on podiums, in courtrooms, and in state legislatures across the nation.
