Utah State Board of Education votes to remove required social media disclaimers

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Board of Education removed a rule that required members to put social media disclaimers on posts. The rule required members to write: “not an official USBE position” before posting anything on social media. 

On Aug. 4, the board voted along party lines to pass the rule requiring social media disclaimers, even as one of their members is under investigation. Member Natalie Cline’s posts were the reason the board implemented the rule in the first place. 

Cline is currently being looked into for her post stating that schools are grooming kids for sex trafficking. She argued the use of the disclaimer takes away free speech.

“To have such unconstitutional, oppressive, tyrannical rules where we are policing each other’s speech? Boy, I just am starting to understand what it feels like to live in a communist country,” said Cline. 

However, member Carol Lear argued that some people don’t know the difference between a board position and an individual’s opinion. 

“It is really important that an individual board member is clear to a fault,” said Lear. 

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