Kim Russell, who has spent the last 27 years coaching for Oberlin College’s women’s lacrosse team, has been removed from her role and replaced with a role shuffling paperwork, after her public opposition to transgender athletes participating against natural-born females.
Russell was in a documentary voicing her opinion against allowing biological males to compete as female athletes, yet since then, she has been the victim of a campaign where she was accused of being “filled with hate” by other college employees.
Creg Jantz, senior associate director of athletics for Oberlin College, told her that it was “acceptable” to have opinions, but that they cannot go against the school’s beliefs. Additionally, Natalie Winkelfoos, the associate vice president of athletics, accused her of being ‘filled with hate’.
Russell expressed that her former role as a coach was a place she had created where her students could feel safe, adding that: “I am so passionate about this because the reason we have these opportunities to play and coach is because of the women who came before me, who fought for us to have these opportunities.”
The college has demanded she apologize to staff and students, yet she is standing by her initial thoughts backed in the documentary, claiming “I’m not writing a letter of apology, I’m not sorry. I really believe that women should be competing against other biological females.”
The issue has reached new heights when taking into account the previous lawsuit Oberlin College was involved in vs. a local bakery. Oberlin College insinuated that the bakery was racist, yet in the suit the college was ordered to pay $33 million in damages, leading to a separate lawsuit being brought against their insurance company who is refusing to pay the $36 million.
This is really really huge. The voice we've been missing is that of coaches. Watch this to understand why so many remain silent even though they know what they're being told to do is wrong.
Thank you for putting your name to this, Coach Kim Russell. https://t.co/F91Qlgw9A4
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 29, 2023
The issue of transgender athletes competing against natural-born females is one as old as time, and arguably much more prominent in sport than in any other aspect of life. Girls deserve the right to compete in women’s sports against other biological females—FULL STOP.
Woman’s dedication, ability, and opportunity to thrive should never be in jeopardy against a male in America.
Kim Russell said it correctly when she said: “People saying, ‘A transwoman is a woman’. How can you not think that?” There shouldn’t be a debate here -Women’s sports should remain for the inclusion of female athletes, as it has been since the beginning.