Utah school board member who questioned student's gender faces calls to resign

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aug. 10, 2023, in Salt Lake City. Utah’s Republican governor and lieutenant governor are urging the State Board of Education to take action against a conservative board member whose social media post questioning the gender of a high school basketball player incited a tirade of threats against the girl. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

A Utah state school board member is under widespread backlash after sharing a post on social media that appeared to question the gender of a high school basketball player, prompting threats against the girl from online commenters.

Natalie Cline, a conservative member of the Utah State Board of Education, posted on Facebook earlier this week photos of a high school girls’ basketball team in Salt Lake County and falsely implied that one of the athletes is transgender, writing: “Girls’ basketball…” The now-deleted post had incited a slew of comments criticizing and threatening the girl.

Cline apologized in a statement on Facebook Wednesday, saying her post “created a firestorm around one of the players pictured” and led to “derogatory comments about the player.” She added that the post was removed after she learned the girl was not transgender.

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But Cline, who has previously come under investigation for inflammatory comments about LGBTQ students, also defended her intent and asserted that she “never claimed” the student was a boy.

“She does have a larger build, like her parents,” Cline said in the statement. “We live in strange times when it is normal to pause and wonder if people are what they say they are because of the push to normalize transgenderism in our society.”

Cline has since faced intense criticism from state lawmakers, including Republican Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, along with the girl’s parents and LGBTQ advocates. In a joint statement late Wednesday, Cox and Henderson denounced Cline’s actions.

“We were stunned to learn of the unconscionable behavior of board member Cline and others toward a high school student today,” Cox and Henderson said in their joint statement. “The last thing our children need is an elected official harassing them on social media.”

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Natalie Cline’s public reprimand comes amid surge of anti-LGBTQ bills

Republican lawmakers nationwide continue to introduce legislation targeting the LGBTQ community, specifically transgender people. Last June, the Human Rights Campaign — the United States’ largest gay rights organization — issued a “state of emergency” over the record number of anti-LGBTQ laws passed across the country.

From athletic bans to bathroom restrictions, these bills and the rhetoric around them have increasingly targeted transgender people in Republican-led states.

The joint statement by Cox and Henderson comes just weeks after the governor signed legislation making Utah the latest state to limit bathroom access for transgender people. In 2022, the state legislature banned transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports teams, which was enacted despite Cox’s veto. The bill has since been temporarily blocked while a legal challenge moves through court.

On Wednesday, LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Utah said in a statement that “Cline’s post perpetuates a modern-day witch-hunt, where hysterical adults police the bodies of children to determine if they are masculine or feminine enough.”

“No child, be they straight, gay, or transgender, should be mocked and humiliated by elected officials,” the statement added. “When will this end? Now that new bathroom legislation has passed the Utah Legislature and been signed by Governor Cox, we are deeply concerned these gender witch-hunts will escalate, and harm not only transgender Utahns but any Utahn who does not conform to Natalie Cline’s narrow view of gender.”

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‘Embarrassed the state’

In their joint statement, Cox and Henderson said Cline has “embarrassed the state” and called on the State Board of Education to take action. Democratic state lawmakers have also called for Cline’s resignation, saying they’re working with attorneys to initiate impeachment proceedings against her.

Although the State Board of Education condemned Cline’s actions in a statement Thursday, the board said it has no power or authority to unseat an elected official.

“Board Leadership is very concerned about this post and the harm it has caused to students and familiesin Utah,” according to the statement. “We are deeply saddened by the events that have taken place and will be taking prompt action regarding this matter as determined by the full Board.”

Cline’s term ends in November and she has filed to run for reelection. She has not suggested she would resign.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the girl is now under police protection and the Granite School District has taken steps to ensure her safety. The district school board will also hold a special meeting Friday to discuss a resolution condemning Cline for targeting one of its students.

Contributing: Marc Ramirez and Claire Thornton, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Utah school board member who questioned student’s gender faces calls to resign