SALT LAKE CITY — Documents obtained through a public records request show just how many complaints the Utah Board of Education received about Natalie Cline and her social media post in which she singled out a high school girl's basketball player.
FOX 13 News has learned one of the boards who called for Cline’s resignation thinks of her complaints and what led to the state board to sanction her.
More than 350 complaints about Cline were received in the first 48 hours after she made the post that targeted the student-athlete who she believed was transgender.
One of the complaints that was received appears to be the teen’s mother.
"This is hateful, hurtful and needs to stop," she wrote. "My heart aches for my daughter.”
Last week, the state school board found Cline violated multiple policies, and besides asking for her resignation, the board removed the District 9 representative from committees and prohibited her from placing items on meeting agendas.
Multiple local school boards and city councils within Cline’s southwest Salt Lake County district have also been asking for her resignation.
Meanwhile, Cline has been responding with emails claiming the resolutions are unprecedented. She adds that the resolutions contain "baseless claims and does not explain the legal basis for the accusations."
Cline goes on to say that the actions taken by the boards "negatively impacts her … will hang over her indefinitely" and will be used by her opponents in her re-election campaign.
In the end, Cline asked to be directed to an appeals process.
So far, one public body has responded with the Canyons School Board sending Cline a short reply saying, “we stand by our resolutions, which we believe is constitutionally protected speech."
Due to the school boards or city councils having no power to force Cline from office, she has no legal right to an appeal.
A spokesman both the Canyons and Granite school districts said board members had declined interview requests, while Cline did not return messages regarding a possible interview.
