Transgender activists are flooding a Utah tipline meant for reporting men in women's restrooms with hoax reports.
Earlier this year, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed legislation barring people who identify as transgender from using bathrooms and locker rooms that do not correspond with their biological sex in schools and government buildings.
The bill changed the legal definitions of “female” and “male” to explicitly state that it means a person's reproductive organs of their birth.
There is an exception for individuals who can prove they have had sex change surgery and changed the sex on their birth certificate.
Additionally, the law required the Office of the State Auditor to “establish a process to receive and investigate alleged violations of [the Statute] by a government entity.”
An online submission form was created to enforce the bill for people to report violations — but it has since been spammed with over 10,000 false reports, according to State Auditor John Dougall.
Dougall released the figures in a press release on May 7.
"Perhaps unsurprisingly given the Statute’s controversial topic and the hurried nature of its passage, many members of the public misunderstood the obligations of this Office," Dougall wrote. "As such, the Office has received a significant number of frivolous complaints and not a single legitimate complaint. So, in response, I wish to correct a couple of apparent misperceptions."
The statement continued, "First, the Office only investigates alleged violations of the Statute by government entities. For example, we are required to investigate an allegation that a government entity has failed to adopt a compliance plan that addresses the government’s duties under the Statute. We act only in response to allegations and will not initiate any investigation at random. Further, we will not investigate the actions of any private individuals, nor will we investigate or determine anyone’s sex or gender. We are not required – and have no desire – to intrude on the most intimate aspects of a person’s life. In this vein, we remind the public that under both the Statute and Utah Criminal Code, an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a “privacy space.” If we receive lewd or voyeuristic images, we will promptly refer those to law enforcement."Second, the Office created the complaint form to comply with a statutory mandate – a role we did not request. Indeed, no auditor sets out to become a bathroom monitor. Unfortunately, neither Rep. Birkeland, nor any other legislator consulted with this Office regarding this newly mandated obligation placed on the Office under this bill. Like many in the public, we learned about our role under this bill shortly before the bill was rushed to final passage.
Dougall urged "concerned citizens" to contact the bill's sponsor, Utah Rep. Kera Birkeland, with complaints instead of flooding his office with hoax submissions.
