Summary
A male wrestler sexually assaulted teenage female wrestler Kallie Keeler in December 2025 during a high school girls’ wrestling tournament, an event sponsored by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Keeler and her mother are suing state officials after those officials directed Keeler to take the mat without telling anyone that she was about to wrestle a male and after the officials waited 53 days to report the sexual assault to law enforcement, in violation of a mandatory 48-hour reporting law.
Case Timeline
- December 2025: Kallie unknowingly wrestles a male athlete at a WIAA-sponsored girls tournament and is sexually assaulted during the match. Within two days, her mother reports the assault in writing to coaches and provides video.
- January 2026: Kallie does not rejoin the team because the district will not ensure her safety. With still no action from the district, officials report the assault to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for the first time at the end of January, nearly two months after the family’s report and only after a journalist sought comment.
- February 2026: Kallie’s story is made public and goes viral. The U.S. Department of Education opens a Title IX investigation into the school district.
- June 2026: Kallie and her mother file a federal lawsuit against Washington officials.
