🆕BREAKING: Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at Oberlin College is breaking her silence in an @IWF documentary after being “burned at the stake” for her support of single-sex sports & speaking out against allowing men in women’s sports.
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⚠️BURNED AT THE STAKE: In 2022, Coach Kim Russell shared a post on her Instagram opposing Lia Thomas competing in women's swimming, leading to a series of disciplinary meetings ripe with ridicule and reprimand organized by Oberlin College administrators.
iwf.org/kim-russell
At one of the meetings, Oberlin’s Athletic Director Natalie Winkelfoos said: “Unfortunately you fall into a category of people that are kind of filled with hate in the world.”
Kim says the experience at Oberlin felt like being “stoned and hanged all at the same time.”‼️It’s a quintessential example of what can happen when truth & common sense come up against radical gender ideology.
While Kim stands on the side of women’s equality, safety, & privacy, apparently her brand of feminism just doesn't cut it—her stance was called “transgressive, transphobic, and unsafe.” Oberlin’s Sr. Assoc. Director of Athletics Creg Jantz told Kim, “It’s acceptable to have your own opinions, but when they go against Oberlin College’s beliefs, it’s a problem for your employment.”
After being told she must write a letter of apology, Kim said as she was sitting down to write she thought to herself, "No, I'm not writing a letter of apology. I’M NOT SORRY.” She will have a conversation with anyone who wants to have a conversation about women’s sports & fairness.
Kim is a former DI two-sport athlete turned college lacrosse coach with over 27 years of coaching experience. She is known as the hippie love coach. Not only because she is a yoga instructor, is often barefoot, reads energy and coaches intuitively, but because she has given countless individuals a safe space to thrive and feel a sense of belonging.
During a slew of disciplinary meetings, Kim was bashed by her own athletes and even told her brand of feminism wasn’t inclusive enough.
Kim shared that this experience has broken her heart. “You love these kids like they're your own. And when they hurt, you hurt too.
Kim’s story is a devastating reminder of the chokehold gender ideology has on society. Kim risked her entire life’s work to share her story, and her bravery to stand up to Oberlin’s group think and speak out for women is bold and inspiring .
She shares: “Do I believe I'm at risk of being fired, of having a storm hit me? Yes. Am I ready for the storm? Yes.”
We will be following Kim’s story and sharing updates as what has happened at Oberlin College continues to unfold. Read more about Kim’s story & watch the full video, as covered by @andreajmew, here:
iwf.org/kim-russell
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