Outrage grows after Nevada college oversight leader asked if state’s universities have any men ‘masquerading as women’ on sports teams and hurting girls

A Nevada college supervisor is facing calls to resign after describing trans athletes as “men pretending to be women.”

Patrick Boylan has been criticized for making these comments during a Friday meeting of the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

He said he had “one simple question” for the athletic directors who gave a presentation to the board before asking, “Do we have men pretending to be women playing on one of our teams and hurting one of the women?”

The question was closed by board attorney Michael Wixom, who advised that it violated federal privacy laws to collect and disclose that information. He warned directors not to respond and said each question should be placed on a separate agenda.

Boylan’s comments were also rejected by the Nevada Faculty Alliance, which said it was “deeply angered by repeated anti-transgender comments.”

The Nevada Faculty Alliance, led by President Jim New, is now calling for his resignation over the comments

The alliance said it was “particularly shocked” by the regent’s “aggressive response” to a student leader who rebuked his comments in the public comment portion of the meeting.

Boylan told the student he had freedom of speech and continued to make inflammatory comments.

“If his ‘you know what’ isn’t cut off or something, he’s still a man,” Boylan said.

The regent seemed to recognize that his question could be controversial, and first checked whether he had permission from the chairman to ask the question before asking it.

In the public comment section, Kevin Osorio-Hernández, president of the Nevada State Student Alliance, told Boylan he was disappointed by the rhetoric and that he hopes he can “expand and change your paradigm.”

But Boylan stuck to his guns and confirmed it Las Vegas Review that he has no plans to resign.

He claimed that “safety and freedom of expression” are more important than the sentiments of the NFA, which he said had “completely misinterpreted” his comments.

He insisted he was doing the right thing by talking about the safety of women in sport and claimed he had been confused about the correct way to refer to transgender people.

The NFA said it was ‘deeply angered by repeated anti-transgender comments’

The regent defended his position, claiming he was only trying to stand up for women in sports

“If I used the wrong terms, OK,” he said, adding that he had received emails of support since the meeting.

“They’re tired of all this woke nonsense,” he said. Boylan also told the outlet that he believes trans athletes should be able to compete in their own separate category.

On Tuesday, NSHE Chancellor Patricia Charlton sent a letter reminding community members of the importance of “being aware of our language” and the community’s commitment to “fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.”

The NFA states that Boylan’s conduct violates the board’s anti-discrimination policy.

“During the March 1 meeting, Regent Boylan also questioned the qualifications of students from underrepresented minority groups,” their statement added.

‘These are not isolated incidents. Regent Boylan has a history of racist and discriminatory comments that have been condemned by a number of Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) students, including the University of Nevada Associated Students Senate.”

In 2022, Boylan suggested that white students were ignored during questions surrounding the federal designation of Spanish-speaking institutions.

Boylan wondered why NSHE does not serve students of all ethnicities.

Boylan asked athletic directors presenting before the board, “Do we have men pretending to be women playing on one of our teams and hurting one of the women?”

The question was closed by board attorney Michael Wixom, who advised that it was against federal privacy laws to collect and disclose information about trans athletes.

“We have black students, we have students of color” and “white students are invisible,” he said at the meeting before asking whether NSHE is interested in white students “or do we just say, “Fuck them?”” he added .

Silver State Equality, Nevada’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, supported calls for Boylan’s resignation.

‘Mr. “Boylan’s comments were not only a direct attack on members of the LGBTQ+ community, creating an unsafe atmosphere of exclusion, but also violated the board’s own anti-discrimination resolution adopted in 2022,” the council said in a statement declaration.

“While we commend the Board of Regents’ public response affirming its commitment “to fostering an environment of inclusivity and respect for all individuals within the Nevada System of Higher Education,” they have yet to take action to address Mr. Boylan to be removed from the board.

“Our higher education system, the students it serves, and the faculty and staff who help create an environment where all individuals feel valued and supported, deserve better than Mr. Boylan.”

However, not everyone supports the call for his resignation.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks defended Boylan, saying he was asked to resign “because he said a man is a man.”

Silver State Equality, Nevada’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, supported calls for Boylan’s resignation

Not everyone has supported calls for Boylan to resign over the controversy

“There are several reasons to be concerned here,” he wrote on X. “First, these higher education professors are unwilling to acknowledge biological reality.

“Second, the same people who talk about inclusivity and the need to respect others have no tolerance for anyone who disagrees with them. So much for diversity of thought and freedom of expression.

“Third, these faculty members (and the regents who support them) proactively shut down the debate. The transgender issue depends on how you define man and woman.

“You can’t have a debate if one party is forced to adopt the false rhetorical assumptions of its opponents.”

While another commenter said: ‘I understand their desire to be recognized as the gender that suits their psyche. I support them within reason.

“But I don’t support allowing biological males into women’s amateur sports at high schools and colleges, not after the decades-long struggle to fund those programs.”