Retracted: Lacrosse coach parts ways with Oberlin

Editor's note: We have retracted the original article, "Controversy erupts: Lacrosse coach FIRED for congratulating the 'real woman who won,''' after receiving a statement from Oberlin College, clarifying that the coach had not been fired but did opt to leave after being reassigned. We apologize for the error.

This article title has been updated from the original, "Controversy erupts: Lacrosse coach FIRED for congratulating the 'real woman who won.''' Oberlin College director of media relations Andrea Simakis emailed a statement to Blaze Media that said:

Kim Russell was not fired nor was she removed from her position after she opposed the inclusion of transgender women in sports.

Russell posted about trans athletes on social media in March 2022. She coached an entire season after that. But when she recorded her student-athletes without their knowledge or consent, then shared those recordings with the media in August 2023, she violated their trust in an irreparable way.

This breach of trust—not her posts, feelings, or beliefs about trans athletes—is why she was removed from her coaching duties and reassigned to a new role in the Athletics department. She chose to turn this opportunity down and leave Oberlin.