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SALT LAKE CITY — State School Board member Natalie Cline has been widely condemned for a Facebook post in which she appeared to imply a high school student-athlete was transgender, prompting state lawmakers to consider official action, possibly including impeachment.
The Utah House of Representatives on Friday opened a resolution file to address Cline's actions, though lawmakers said they plan to take a deliberative approach to any potential repercussions and promised not to act out of emotion.
With just over three weeks left in the legislative session, House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, was asked Friday if lawmakers have time to address the Cline situation and push through the hundreds of bills still up for consideration.
"The last thing I want to do is deal with this right now, to be quite honest with you," Schultz told reporters. "But we have an obligation, it's our job and we will make the time."
The speaker didn't commit to taking a certain path in regards to Cline, and said lawmakers have multiple tools at their disposal to object to her actions — ranging from an official censure to impeachment and removal from office. The Legislature could also empower the State School Board to impeach Cline from her seat, Schultz said.
"Opening this resolution will allow the Legislature to start a process that is fair and deliberative," Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, told House colleagues when requesting the resolution file on the House floor. "This allows us to consider all options within our constitutional authority and this is the responsibility of the Legislature."
The text of the resolution has yet to be released, but at this point in the legislative session, lawmakers must get approval from the chamber to open any new bill files.
The controversy surrounding Cline began earlier this week, when she shared a screenshot of an Instagram post including photos of two student-athletes from a girls basketball team in the Granite School District promoting an upcoming game. Cline included the caption "Girls basketball ...," which LGBTQ advocates and the girl's parents have said implied the girl was transgender.
Comments under the post — which has since been deleted — quickly filled with transphobic comments directed at the girl.
Politicians across the board have condemned the post and many have called on Cline to step down from her position.
"I just want to say I'm sorry to the family," Schultz said. "I can't imagine — as a parent of four girls — having to go through what that girl is going through and what that family is going through. It's not fair and it's not right. And my heart breaks for that family — literally."
"We as office holders, we take an oath of office. Part of that is that we discharge our duties with fidelity. ... I think she broke that oath of office," the speaker continued. "If I was in her shoes, I would probably resign."
What the Legislature's response could look like
Schultz said there are several official channels lawmakers could use, including official censure, condemnation or an impeachment inquiry — all of which would start with a resolution. Lawmakers could also consider an ethics violation, but Schultz said he thinks that's less likely because it "really isn't set up for this type of problem."
Lawmakers could also empower the Utah State Board of Education to impeach Cline, a power that board currently does not have. If Cline were impeached and removed from her office, she would also be barred from holding future political office, Schultz said.
Schultz said conversations about next steps will continue over the weekend and the next couple of weeks, but there appears to be little appetite for swift action.
The speaker said he has not polled House members for their position on the matter, but said there are "members all across the spectrum, except for I don't think we have any members that said, 'Do nothing.'" He said lawmakers will not be "acting out of emotion," and they "want to be fair" to Cline as well as the student-athlete.
"I think there's a whole bunch of reasons to impeach and there's other reasons not to impeach," Schultz said. "When you impeach, you take the will of the voter away. On the flip side, you have to hold people accountable for their actions."
Spendlove said the talk of impeachment stems from a series of controversial actions by Cline, not simply her questioning the gender of the girl.
"Anyone can make a mistake, but when there's a pattern, that's where we have to address it," he said.
Whatever the Legislature decides, it will take action before the end of the session, Spendlove said.
"It's hard for us to sit here and say we know the outcome or to have exact thoughts on it, because this is a big issue," Schultz said. "And I can promise you it will go through a fair process and ... we'll see where it ends up."
