Outcry over Nevada education official’s remarks on transgender athletes
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Following calls for his resignation a Nevada education official had to defend his remarks, regarding the transgender community, within the time limit of two minutes.
During a Friday meeting of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents, public commenters rose to dispute statements made by Regent Patrick Boylan.
Previously, Boylan made statements about his concern surrounding transgender players in sports after he said he saw a video of a female basketball player being thrown down by a transgender player.
Boylan said he was concerned about transgender athletes harming others but also asked NSHE staff, “Are there any men masquerading in any of our sports.”
Doung Unger, president of the University of Nevada Las Vegas Nevada Faculty Alliance, said his organization is calling for Boylan’s resignation following his remarks on transgender athletes.
“Regent Boylan’s language undermines our shared higher education mission with discriminatory impact,” Unger said. “[He] must be more explicitly excoriated by this board and NSHE leadership.”
Most speakers spoke in opposition of Boylan’s remarks, but some offered support for the regent’s statements.
“Stop telling our kids they can choose their gender,” Lorena Biassotti, a Clark County School Board of Trustees candidate, said. “Stand strong Mr. Boylan.”
Go to the podium
Michael Wixom, special counsel for the NSHE Board of Regents, indicated Boylan had prepared remarks regarding the outcry, but the special counsel said Boylan would need to leave his physical regent seat if he wanted to make a public comment.
“We humbly ask that the regent go to the podium,” Wixom said.
Boylan immediately began to read his prepared statement from his phone without leaving his seat before he saw Wixom pointing to the podium.
“No, I don’t have to go to the podium,” Boylan said. “There’s nothing in the regulations that say I have to go to the podium.”
Amy Carvalho, NSHE Board of Regents chair, interrupted Boylan’s remark and reminded him of the special counsel’s statement.
“You have your nameplate right in front of you it says ‘regent,’” Carvalho said. “This is public comment, and we are respectfully asking you to go to the podium.”
Looking up from his phone Boylan grabbed his nameplate and placed it face down on the table.
“There,” he said. “There is no nameplate now.”
Wixom told Boylan that as regent he would need to make his remarks as a public commenter not as a regent and get up from his chair.
“No, I won’t,” he said.
Carvalho replied to Boylan that he would need to make the address as a public commenter, and the regent walked to the podium.
“People you know have twisted my words for their own political issues,” Boylan said. “And then made it something bigger than it was which was for the safety of female athletes.”
Boylan said he was concerned about NSHE being the target of lawsuits from injured athletes and said the outcry has led to his firing from his part-time job as a handgun training instructor.
Following his statements Boylan said he has received denouncements from the Nevada Faculty Alliance and other university presidents including University of Nevada Reno President Brian Sandoval.
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