Utah school board member who questioned a student’s gender loses party nomination for reelection

SALT LAKE CITY — A conservative member of the Utah State Board of Education who faced calls to resign after lawmakers said she bullied a student on social media lost her nomination for re-election on Saturday.

Natalie Cline needed at least 40% of the delegate votes at the Salt Lake County Republican Convention, but she fell short of that threshold on Saturday. She faced Jordan School District Trustee Amanda Bollinger, who received enough support to become the party’s candidate in that school board race.

Unlike Bollinger, Cline did not collect signatures from voters — a loophole that would appear on the Utah primary ballot in June if a candidate fails to win his party’s nomination. The deadline for collecting signatures has passed.

Cline faced backlash from Republicans and Democrats after her social media post questioning the gender of a high school basketball player prompted threats against the girl. Republican Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Cline’s actions were an embarrassment to the state, and the Legislature formally censured her but allowed her to remain in office without any real power.

Cline announced at the end of February that she would seek re-election.

In a Facebook post before Saturday’s vote, Cline said she has “been on call day and night for more than three years, answering the endless cries for help from parents and teachers sickened by what they see first. surrender their schools!”

She said she had “done everything I could and more with God as my helper and the growing army of concerned citizens who say enough is enough!”

A message asking for comment was sent to Cline via social media.