Washington principal, athletic coordinator charged for failure to report allegations trans wrestler sexually assaulted girl during match

Two administrators from the Puyallup School District in Washington face gross misdemeanor charges for allegedly not reporting a high school wrestler’s claim that she was sexually assaulted by a biological male competitor who identifies as transgender during a girls’ wrestling event.

Rogers High School Principal Jason Smith, 55, and Athletic Coordinator Peter Collins, 49, were each charged on July 21 in Pierce County District Court with violating the state’s mandatory reporting requirements. The case centers on accusations from student Kallie Keeler, who said she was assaulted on December 6, 2025, while competing against a biological male opponent at a tournament hosted by Emerald Ridge High School.

Keeler and her family state they informed school officials of the incident right after the match. However, authorities were not notified for more than 50 days, even though Washington law requires school staff to report suspected child abuse or sexual abuse without delay.

The charges against the administrators follow a decision by Pierce County prosecutors not to pursue criminal charges against the transgender athlete. In explaining their choice, prosecutors said they could not establish third-degree rape beyond a reasonable doubt, pointing to state case law that recognizes a consent defense for physical contact occurring in organized sports. They noted there was clear evidence Keeler did not want the penetration to happen, but they determined they could not overcome the legal standard applied to athletic competitions. Prosecutors stressed that the athlete’s gender identity played no role in the decision.

Keeler and her mother have filed a federal lawsuit against the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Superintendent Chris Reykdal, the Puyallup School District, and additional school officials. The suit claims that state policies permitting biological males to compete in girls’ sports directly contributed to the incident and that Keeler was not informed beforehand that her opponent was a biological male.

Kate Anderson, senior counsel with the Alliance Defending Freedom, has said Keeler’s goal extends beyond financial damages. She wants to compete in the sport she has pursued since age four without the risk of a similar experience and to protect other girls from facing the same situation. Anderson noted that without policy changes, Keeler’s only option would be to forfeit matches herself if matched against a biological male, which she described as unfair.

After the allegations became public, the biological male wrestler chose to withdraw from the state girls’ wrestling championships, and a female athlete took the vacated spot in the bracket.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education launched a Title IX investigation into the Puyallup School District. Officials are examining whether the district violated federal law by allowing biological males to participate in girls’ sports, granting them access to girls’ locker rooms, and inadequately addressing the sexual assault allegations.

The situation has also drawn attention in the debate over Initiative IL26-638, a measure headed to the November ballot that would bar biological male students from competing in girls’ and women’s school sports. Supporters have cited Keeler’s case as an illustration of the need for such a change.

These charges arrive months after a separate case in which Longview Public Schools Superintendent Karen Cloninger was arrested and charged with felony witness tampering, failure to report child abuse, and obstructing law enforcement. That matter involved claims that district leaders delayed reporting student sexual assault allegations and tried to manage them internally. Both the Longview and Puyallup cases have highlighted the legal risks school officials face under Washington’s mandatory reporting statute when suspected abuse or assault goes unreported.

According to reports, both Smith and Collins have waived their right to appear in person at their scheduled arraignments. If convicted, they could face the penalties outlined in the state’s mandatory reporting law. The criminal proceedings against the administrators, Keeler’s federal lawsuit, and the federal Title IX investigation all continue.