OutKick has learned exclusively that on Friday the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) initiated a directed investigation into Puyallup School District in Puyallup, Washington, based on reports that a female wrestlerwas sexually assaulted by a male competitorduring a competition designated as a girls' wrestling event.

The female wrestler, Kallie Keeler, a 16-year-old sophomore at Rogers High School in Puyallup, says the incident occurred during a December 6 girls' wrestling match against Emerald Ridge High School.

Keeler claims that during her match, her opponent "reached between her legs and, very forcefully for several seconds, tried to push her fingers in her vagina."

Keeler immediately told her parents after the match, and two days later, on December 8, they emailed the school's coaches to make sure the complaint was addressed.

"This is a huge issue and something that is 100% not OK," Keeler's mother wrote. "The fact that this was done by a biological male who identifies as a female is an even bigger issue for me. Where do we go from here?"

On January 30, 2026, – nearly two months after the incident occurred and was reported by Keeler and her family – the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office opened a criminal investigation.

According to media reports, the alleged violations are ongoing and well known to school leaders, with at least a dozen female athletes having complained to administrators about the presence of two males in the girls’ locker room.

OCR will determine whether the District violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by allowing males to compete in female sports, allowing males to access locker rooms designated for use by female students, and failing to adequately respond to allegations of sexual assault.

"The allegations in this case are sickening," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey. "While the District may prioritize ideological agendas over the safety and dignity of its students, the Trump Administration will not tolerate such conduct,"

Richey states her department will continue to enforce Title IX to "ensure that women and girls have safe, equal access to educational programs and opportunities, and that allegations of sexual assault are addressed promptly and fully."

Source: The Latest & Most Breaking News With OutKick