Ok, I missed that part; you're right, that's strange!
But I don't quite get this part:
Does that mean other I2C devices also don't work with your ItsyBitsy RP2040?
It's a bit of a guess, but it may be related to inappropriate pullups. Many modules have 10k pullups onboard, which is on the weak side. Have you tried putting something like 3k3 or 4k7 pullups between both SCL and SDA and Vdd?