A Utah state school board member has come under fire for sharing a social media post that appeared to falsely suggest that a high school basketball player is transgender, prompting online threats against the 16-year-old.
Natalie Cline, a conservative member of the Utah Board of Education, posted a photo on Facebook Tuesday of Al and Rachel van der Beek’s daughter in uniform with the caption “Women’s Basketball,” KSL-TV reported.
In the deleted screenshot of an Instagram ad about a game, she implied that the Salt Lake City girl is transgender and shouldn’t be allowed to play, according to the outlet.
The girl, who was not identified, was reportedly inundated with hateful comments and threats from social media users who saw the Republican’s post.
Equality Utah said the teen is not transgender, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The van der Beeks told KSL that school officials called them Wednesday to inform them about Cline’s post and the hateful comments directed at their daughter, whom they described as a tomboy.
Utah state school board member Natalie Cline is under fire after sharing a post implying that a 16-year-old girl on a high school basketball team is transgender. Utah State Board of Education
“Someone has posted some stuff on Facebook and it’s starting to get a lot of attention and there’s a lot of people commenting,” Al said. “Basically, your daughter is accused of being a kid who played girls’ basketball.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to look at someone’s outward appearance and assume that they’re playing on the right field or not based on how someone looks,” Rachel told the outlet.
The 15-member elected school board reacted to the controversy Thursday.
“The leadership of the Utah State Board of Education condemns the actions taken by board member Natalie Cline in her recent Facebook post directed at a high school student-athlete in Utah,” it said in a statement.
Cline’s Facebook post, since deleted, sparked an avalanche of threats against the girl. KSL The post suggested that the teenager should not be allowed to compete on a women’s team. Natalie Cline / Facebook
“Board leadership is very concerned about this publication and the harm it has caused to students and families in Utah. “We are deeply saddened by the events that have taken place and will take immediate action regarding this matter as determined by the full Board,” he said.
The board noted, however, that it “has no power or authority to remove an elected official,” adding that “if the full board determines that discipline is warranted, the board bylaws provide guidelines for further action.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, both Republicans, also denounced Cline.
Rachel and Al van der Beek, the girl’s parents, call for Cline’s resignation. KSL-TV
“We were stunned to learn of the unconscionable behavior of board member Cline and others toward a high school student today. The last thing our kids need is an elected official harassing them on social media,” Cox and Henderson. said in a joint statement Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that board member Cline has embarrassed the state of Utah and the State Board of Education,” they said in the joint rebuke of the board member who previously faced calls to resign over inflammatory comments. about LGBTQ+ students.
“We urge the State Board of Education to hold her accountable and commend the Granite School District for taking swift action to protect the safety and well-being of this student,” the two leaders added.
Natalie Cline apologized for the post and acknowledged that the teen is not transgender. Natalie Cline / Facebook
On Wednesday, the embattled member apologized to the girl, while calling his post “Constitutionally Protected Speech.”
“I previously shared a public announcement from a school basketball game that was sent to me by several concerned parents and it created a firestorm around one of the players in the photo,” Cline wrote.
“Several commentators made personal information and derogatory comments about the player. To protect the player, I have deleted the post. “My sincere apologies for the negative attention my post brought to innocent students and their families,” he wrote.
Rachel van der Beek and her husband were the first to be alerted about the post by school officials. ksl
He insisted that he “never claimed that the student was a boy,” adding that “for those who still claim that the student is a boy, please know that several people I know and trust have contacted me and know this person personally.” girl and have “claimed that she is, in fact, a biological girl and always has been since birth.”
Cline also noted that the girl “has a larger build, like her parents.
“We live in strange times where 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,” she wrote.
“We are all trying to preserve women’s sports and their privacy spaces. In doing so, we certainly recognize that there is great variation among women when it comes to physical characteristics, and of course we accept these differences and want all girls to feel welcome in school sports,” Cline continued.
Al van der Beek said Cline should do more than apologize on Facebook. ksl
“Unfortunately, our good faith efforts to embrace differences have sometimes been exploited to cause a loss of confidence, leading to suspicion of girls who are more muscular than most. “This is a sad consequence of the trans movement being imposed on us, which puts us all in a difficult situation,” she added.
Democratic state lawmakers called for Cline to resign and said they are working with lawyers to begin impeachment proceedings against her.
Republican leaders have not indicated whether they would support impeachment, but Senate President Stuart Adams said Thursday he was “looking at all options” to address Cline’s “reprehensible” behavior.
The girl’s parents also called on Cline to resign.
“I feel like I should make a public apology that’s not just on Facebook,” Al told KSL. “What if our daughter didn’t have that strong character and didn’t have our support and the support of the community to the extent that she internalized this? At worst, she could have ended her own life.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn