(The Lion) — A nurse is reportedly under investigation by the Kansas Board of Nursing (KSBN) for unspecified posts about transgenderism.
Elaine Gebhardt writes on social media platform X that she received a letter from the KSBN telling her she was under investigation for allegedly “using social media to attack the transgender population, and debase healthcare processes.”
Gebhardt says the investigation has nothing to do with the care she provides, but is instead blatant political persecution for expressing views online with which the board may disagree.
It wasn’t immediately clear what Gebhardt may have posted that inspired the investigation, though a video she posted on X gives clues as to her views – and the apparently virulent reaction to them from others.
“You can go tell me to [kill] myself,” she says in the video. “You can say that to me, but I can’t say that there are only two sexes and that men pretending to be women shouldn’t be in women’s bathrooms – regardless of how much I may respect a transgender person and their life.
“This was due to people on the internet who don’t live in Kansas reporting me because they’re a bunch of little snowflakes who can’t handle their own emotions and they didn’t like what I said. I’m sorry, I have the First Amendment just like you do.”
In the video Gebhardt talks about critics who “want to censor me when I say you can’t ‘trans’ kids.”
“I received this letter from the Kansas Nursing Board dated 10/09/2024,” she writes on X. “As you can see this had nothing to do with my patient care. Just me exercising my First Amendment right. But yeah, this totally isn’t a political witch hunt.”
Her post was amplified when popular X user Libs of Tik Tok reposted it, tagging the KSBN and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
“Nurse in Kansas allegedly received a letter from the @ksnursingboard saying she may have violated the Kansas Nurse Practice Act because she used social media to ‘attack’ the transgender population,” Libs commented. “What’s going on here? @KSAGOffice.”
Kobach quickly dismissed the notion that any nurse in the state would have his or her license revoked over social media posts.
“The board investigates these complaints, but my office is responsible for prosecuting the cases,” he wrote in a reply to Libs of Tik Tok. “No attorney operating under my authority is going to participate in depriving someone of a state-issued license because they exercised their right to free speech.
“The First Amendment protects speech, even speech that others may find rude or offensive. I will protect the First Amendment rights of all Kansans, regardless of their point of view.”
Perhaps adding credibility to Gebhardt’s claim that this is a “political witch hunt,” a review of the Kansas Nurse Practice Act finds no reference to social media posts under section 65-1114, covering “unlawful acts,” or section 60-7-106, covering “unprofessional conduct.” And a search of the document for the word “transgender” returns no results.
The Lion reached out to the KSBN for comment regarding the alleged investigation. KSBN responded by saying it had no comment, but did assure The Lion it is “looking into it.”
The KSBN is a governmental organization whose mission is “to assure the citizens of Kansas safe and competent practice by nurses and mental health technicians.”
Gebhardt says in her video that the threats and profanity-laced criticism she’s received “doesn’t mean I’m going to shut up.
“Watch what’s gonna happen once the final decision is made, because … you didn’t silence me. You made me worse.”
