Transgender RA sparks debate

Utah State University is back in the news spotlight amidst controversy involving an alleged transgender woman serving as a Resident Assistant in Merrill Hall, a co-ed dormitory on its Logan campus. 

On Jan. 3, Cheryl Saltzman posted on Facebook expressing concern about her daughter’s housing arrangement at the beginning of the semester. 

“A biological male (trans with she/her pronouns) just moved into my daughter’s dorm (Merrill hall) on Utah State university’s campus….. it is a girls only dorm” Saltzman wrote.

Saltzman claimed the university had not provided prior notice about the RA’s gender identity and criticized USU’s response.

Her daughter was later moved to a different dorm without issue. 

The post caught the attention of news outlets and spread to X and Reddit, sparking a heated debate about safety and non-discrimination on college campuses. 

Elise Carter, a sophomore sociology student who lives in Merrill Hall, said many of the girls living in the dorms are frustrated with the current coverage.

“I heard about what was happening on social media at the beginning of last week, and I was frustrated because I think it was handled badly, and it’s putting a student in danger,” Carter said. 

RAs are students who act as peer advisors for those living in their dorms. RAs have access to their own living space, but do not access the living spaces of other individuals. Access cards for all spaces are only used in emergencies and are trackable.

“That’s true of every RA in the entire building, including cisgender male ones, so that’s not really a unique concern,” Carter said. “It feels like it’s more about discomfort than genuine safety.”

The Utah Statesman reached out to USU Housing and received a statement from University Marketing & Communications Associate Vice President Amanda DeRito. 

“To meet the needs of students living on campus, USU provides a range of housing options, including gender-neutral housing,” DeRito wrote. “We are also sensitive to residents’ concerns about potential room assignments and routinely adjust housing assignments to provide welcoming and comfortable housing for all student living on campus.”

A separate statement was given to Fox 13 News aiming to correct what it described as “misinformation” circulating online. 

In the statement, DeRito clarified Merrill Hall is a co-ed facility where students are assigned apartments based on the gender they report in their housing applications. 

“USU Student Housing strives to create a welcoming environment for all students, regardless of their background or viewpoints,” DeRito wrote.

Utah’s legal framework includes protections against discrimination based on gender identity. In 2015, the state passed legislation prohibiting such discrimination in employment and housing, with certain exemptions for religious organizations. 

USU’s policies align with these legal standards, aiming to ensure all students have equal access to university housing and employment opportunities without fear of discrimination.

In another statement for Cache Valley Daily, DeRito emphasized that USU complies with these federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination.

“Because of that, we do not ask if a student is transgender,” DeRito wrote. “Likewise, we do not ask potential employees if they are transgender when applying for employment.”

The controversy has elicited a wide range of reactions online. Some individuals argue assigning a transgender woman as an RA in a female-designated space raises concerns about privacy and safety. 

Utah author Eric Moutsos has posted extensively about the controversy on X. 

One post reads, “This setup raises significant privacy and safety concerns for the female residents who must not only live with a man pretending to be a woman, but navigate through this small shared living space to reach their private rooms, potentially exposing themselves after showering and not being able to get fully dressed in the tiny bathroom.” 

Conversely, supporters contend the RA’s gender identity should not disqualify her from her role and such inclusivity reflects progress toward equal rights for transgender individuals.

“I don’t see how it’s more of a safety concern than it is with any other RA,” Carter said. “You’re never going to be 100% safe unless you barricade yourself in your house. That’s just part of living with roommates.”

In a thread posted to the subreddit r/usu, users expressed concern for the RA and distaste for the way Saltzman handled the situation.

“The mom and Eric Moutsos already Doxed this poor girl,” u/SapoDeArvore wrote. “If you read the comments on his Instagram post I definitely think she’s in Potential Danger.”

“Investigating the mom for endangering the RA, I hope,” u/Smart_Question2551 wrote.

Doxxing is the practice of collecting and leaking someone’s personal info — such as their home address — online in an attempt to shame or embarrass the user.

“A lot of us feel that it’s hypocritical for people to be taking to Twitter on behalf of the female resident safety while also saying our address online to a bunch of people who feel strongly about the issue,” Carter said. “I think we feel much less safe now that that’s happening than we ever did regarding the original situation.” 

Several women including Carter who live at Merrill Hall wrote a letter to the university expressing their support for the RA and expressing they are not uncomfortable with her living there. 

“It frustrated me that a lot of the players involved — people who are strangers online — were reportedly doing it on behalf of the other female residents of the building and presenting it as a unilateral ‘All of them feel this way,’” Carter said. “I wanted a chance for some of the female residents who did not feel that way to make their voices heard in a safe way.”

As of Jan. 13, this letter has been signed by 20 Merrill Hall residents, and Carter is hoping to start a petition open to the entire student body as well.  

“I’m just hoping that the university and the Utah State Legislature will take this into account before making any decisions regarding changing the policy,” Carter said. 

On Jan. 10, an email signed by USU President Elizabeth Cantwell and Interim VP of Student Affairs Krystin Deschamps was sent to all Residence Life students announcing an external review of the Housing Services and Residence Life programs.

“As many of you know, the Residence Life program at Utah State University has come under scrutiny on social media and in the general media,” the email said. “We want to reach out to you to let you know we value the voices of all of our students.”

The email goes on to encourage students to make their voices heard. 

“You are able to share your comments, feedback, concerns, and suggestions directly with the university, either anonymously or with your name,” the email said. “USU Residence Life provides a reporting form for this purpose.”

Carter hopes this can be an opportunity for USU to show up in support of inclusivity.

“It’s not fair to do this to a student who has just as much right to be here, to be safe, to be respected, to be comfortable as any of us,” Carter said. “I’m frustrated with the situation, and I’m hoping Utah State will rise to the occasion, but we’ll see.”