John Parks, the high school track and field coach from Oregon who claimed he was fired for voicing opposition to transgender participation rules, has sued his former school district.
As reported by Fox News, the Lake Oswego School District, which oversees Lake Oswego High School, and the Lake Oswego School Board fired Parks in June after he sent a letter to state officials about laws related to transgender athletes.
Parks spoke to Fox News Digital about his decision to pursue legal action and what outcome he hopes to see.
"The main point of [filing the lawsuit] is to drive home the point that we need protection for female athletes, that's first and foremost. I think we have to force action at the state level. So, in cases like this, we will get guidance from the International Olympic Committee and the other international sports federations, and our U.S. track and field federations [etc.] can offer [direction as well]," Parks said.
"And the other is: I want my job. I didn't do anything wrong."
According to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, "The Liberty Justice Center has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against an Oregon school district on behalf of a high school track and field coach who was fired for proposing an open division for transgender athletes to compete in, to ensure fairness for all student athletes."
"The lawsuit has been filed against the Lake Oswego School Board and Lake Oswego School District," said Buck Dougherty, an attorney with the Liberty Justice Center. "We anticipate that it is possible that we could amend the complaint. We're still gathering additional facts. But after this, they will be served formally with a complaint, and then we will follow up shortly thereafter, probably in the next few weeks. We will file a motion for preliminary injunction," Dougherty told Fox News Digital.
"One of the areas of relief that we're looking for is for [Parks'] position as head track coach to be restored."
According to Chantz Martin of Fox News, Parks explained some of the tension he noticed leading up to the girls' 400-meter event at Oregon's state championships in May.
"Leading up to the state meet, I was concerned about the situation with the transgender athlete and how it was going to impact my girls. I had girls on the team that were anxious, parents that were angry. So, I speak to my AD, just asking [if I can] contact the OSAA (Oregon Student Activities Association) and say that this is something that shouldn't be happening, not just my girls but to all the girls," Parks told Fox News Digital.
"I just felt compelled to write a letter, [and] as I learned later, many dozens or hundreds more did, and [I] was concerned enough to just write a letter that spoke from my heart [about] how it affected my team and how it affected coaching at the elite level, college level, international level and Olympic level where I've had athletes. And also how it impacted personally on my team, where I had a transgender athlete that was competing all season and the struggles that they went through."
Parks told Portland ABC affiliate KATU in mid-June that he addressed two letters to a high-ranking official with the OSAA.
He also sent letters to state Sen. Rob Wagner, including one last month after Oregon's state championships. In the letters, Parks said the state's laws, as currently constructed, do a disservice to girls' sports, Martin reported.
"Parks appeared to reference the International Olympic Committee's hormone testing mandates," Martin wrote. "The requirements for hormone testing vary across different sports leagues, committees and organizations.
"The OSAA competition rules need to be aligned with what the rest of the world competes under," Parks wrote in the letter addressed to Wagner. "My proposal to encourage transgender participation is to offer an open division that is so named so it doesn't identify or discriminate but offers an opportunity to participate."
