Gazette Daily News Podcast: Tuesday, April 9, 2024

– NAIA approves transgender policy limiting women’s sports to athletes whose biological sex is female

– Linn County jury convicts Cedar Rapids man of fatally stabbing Devonna Walker

– Downtown Iowa City opens temporary pop-up storefront

Episode Transcript

Coming up, a policy limiting transgender athlete’s participation in women’s sports is approved by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

And later, a jury returns a guilty verdict in the fatal stabbing of Devonna Walker

Plus, Downtown Iowa City opens a temporary pop-up storefront

Welcome to the Tuesday, April 9 edition of the Gazette Daily News Podcast. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

On Monday, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA announced a policy that limits the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports. The NAIA’s Council of Presidents unanimously approved the policy, which says all athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports. However for women’s sports, athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth is female and have not begun hormone therapy may participate. A student who has begun hormone therapy cannot participate in interscholastic competition, but may participate in workouts, practices and team activities.

The NAIA said quote, “With the exception of competitive cheer and competitive dance, the NAIA created separate categories for male and female participants. Each NAIA sport includes some combination of strength, speed and stamina, providing competitive advantages for male student-athletes. As a result, the NAIA policy for transgender student-athletes applies to all sports except for competitive cheer and competitive dance, which are open to all students.” The NAIA oversees about 83 thousand athletes at schools across the country.

The number of transgender high school and college athletes is unknown. But a 2019 study by the CDC estimated that of the 15.3 million public high school students in the U.S. about 275,000 are transgender. That’s about 1.8%. At least 24 states have laws that prevent transgender women and girls from competing in specific women’s or girl’s sports competitions. Just last month, a federal lawsuit was filed against the NCAA by current and former college athletes who say their rights were violated because transgender athletes were allowed to compete in women’s sports.

Hours after the NAIA announced its policy, the NCAA released a statement saying that it will continue to promote Title IX and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all of its championships. The NCAA has had a transgender athlete participation policy since 2010. In 2022, the policy was revised to follow the lead of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

On Monday, a Linn County jury convicted 38-year-old Shane Teslik of fatally stabbing 29-year-old Devonna Walker. Prosecutors say Teslik provoked Walker during an argument by calling her a racial slur. Then, Walker ran at him, punched him in the face twice and Teslik armed himself with a kitchen knife and stabbed her on Jan. 2, 2023.

The jury deliberated for about eight hours before finding Teslik guilty of voluntary manslaughter and the simple misdemeanor disorderly conduct-epithets/threatening gesture. Voluntary manslaughter is a forcible felony.

After the verdict, First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter told The Gazette quote, “The jury sent a very clear message in this case. Spewing a racial slur at Devonna and then killing her when she responded to that provocation is against the law. The amount of force Shane Teslik used was a disproportionate response to the threat she posed and his actions were not justified.”

In a statement, the Walker family thanked the community for the quote “unwavering support during this incredibly difficult time” end quote.

Teslik faces 10 years in prison. He will be required to pay $150,000 in restitution to Walker’s estate or heirs. Sentencing is set for June 7.

Next, a temporary pop-up storefront has sprung up in downtown Iowa City. It’s designated for entrepreneurs looking for a shot at brick-and-mortar retail. The pilot project is called “In The Meantime” and uses the storefront previously occupied by White Rabbit, at 112 S. Linn St. Iowa City Downtown District Executive Director Betsy Potter said in a news release quote, “We continue to broadcast that retail sales in storefronts are still the primary way consumers shop. Linn Street has long been a retail street where many beloved community businesses first started,” end quote. The first In the Meantime event is April 24. Willow & Stock is holding a spring floral bouquet workshop.

Find links to all of the stories featured in this episode in this episode’s description.

Finally, let’s take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be partly cloudy. Expect a high of 63 degrees and a low of 38 degrees. Tomorrow will be cloudy. Anticipate a high of 67 degrees and a low of 46 degrees.

Thank you for listening to the Gazette Daily News Podcast. Stay updated with the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com