New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- CAMAS, Wash. - The race went ahead, but a group of Camas runners chose not to follow it. Their walk-off has turned a school cross-country meet into a dispute over who should set the rules for girls' sports, with Washington voters preparing to consider a change in state law.

About a dozen members of the Camas High School girls' team forfeited their race Tuesday, October 13, in protest of a transgender teammate's participation, according to The Seattle Times. The district said the athlete had not violated eligibility rules. The state's governing sports association said it had received no eligibility challenge.

The distinction is central to the dispute. The runners were objecting to a policy that currently permits the...