Influential high school administrator in Hawaii shrugs as boy competes in girls' track and field state championships

At least one male student was permitted to compete in the high school girls' track and field state championships in Hawaii last weekend, but a high-ranking official who helps determine state policies regarding high school athletics does not believe the male participant created an unfair competition.

Dean Cevallos is the principal of Kea'au High School, near Hilo on the Island of Hawaii. He is also the president of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation and the vice president of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, which means he has power over the way high school athletics in his state are governed.

According to an X thread from the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, 'several' of the girls' relay teams at Kea'au High School — the same high school that Cevallos oversees — had two males on them, and at least one of those relay teams participated in the state championship

Cevallos told Island News that he knew a trans-identifying athlete — presumed to be a boy presenting as a girl — would be participating in the state's track and field competition but said that trans-identifying athletes competing as their gender identity does not violate Title IX or the spirit of fair play.

"I'm not troubled," Cevallos said. "I've read Title IX. I know what its contents are. I don't have an issue with it. I'm not going to interpret what it is that we as a Department of Education are asked to follow. I try to make it fair for all my students, whatever we do, and I make sure we follow our policies."

The Hawaii State Department of Education, Civil Rights Compliance Branch — which adopted "respect diversity" as its official mission — considers "gender identity and gender expression" to be subdivisions of the protected "sex" category.

Cevallos claimed he had not received any complaints about trans-identifying athletes participating in cross-sex competition and did not know how many such athletes would participate in the 2024 state track and field championships.

According to an X thread from the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, "several" of the girls' relay teams at Kea'au High School — the same high school that Cevallos oversees — had two males on them, and at least one of those relay teams participated in the state championship. Kea'au High School even went so far as to give one of those two trans-identifying boys its female Outstanding Athlete award, ICONS claimed.

ICONS further reported that the mother of one of the two Kea'au High School trans athletes insisted she actually has two sons on the Kea'au track team who identify as girls, though one of them apparently competes against other boys. "Two of these BEAUTIFUL transgender GIRLS are MY DAUGHTERS," an account named _sheylyn_ wrote on social media in response to Island News' report, according to a screenshot from ICONS.

"These are KIDS we are talking bout," sheylen added.

"Because of this [report] my daughter does not feel safe!!"

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