Utah State Board of Education Board Member Natalie Cline, District 11. Photo: USBE webpage
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Board of Education has issued a letter of reprimand to outspoken member Natalie Cline. The letter comes after a recent social media post about LGBTQ+ youth.
In the letter, the board said Cline’s “divisive rhetoric has repeatedly marginalized the LGBTQIA+ community – students, faculty, and parents.”
“Instead of sending messages of dignity, respect, safety, hope and inclusion,” the letter continues, “your social media posts convey an attitude of prejudice, exclusion, and scorn for a population of students.” The letter further describes those students as “suffer(ing) disproportionally with incidents of bullying, depression, and suicide.”
Cline’s most recent post featured a pride flag on a welcome sign for a Latter-Day Saint Seminary building at Layton High School with the caption, “The world is too much with us.”
The board said of that post, “Superintendent Newey and his staff at Davis School District were so concerned at your post and those who commented on it that they hired additional security to patrol campus today to discourage potential violence. This happened because of your post.”
The board also reprimanded Natalie Cline for other posts authored since she was elected eight months ago. In these posts, the board said Cline “engendered controversy, frustration, and anger toward the Board, certain schools, certain educators, and certain student populations with statements you have posted on your social media regarding our LGBTQIA+ community.”
KSL Newsradio reached out to Cline for comment and has received no response.
