Oregon School District disputes Ted Cruz’s ads on transgender athletes

Oregon School District disputes Ted Cruz's ads on transgender athletes

The Beaverton School District in Oregon has formally requested that Senator Ted Cruz’s campaign remove an attack ad targeting his Democratic opponent, Representative Colin Allred. The ad, which criticizes Allred’s stance on transgender athletes, features images of two Oregon high school students without permission, implying that at least one of them might be transgender—an implication the district says is false.

At a glance:

  • The Beaverton School District demands the removal of an ad featuring two of its students without permission.
  • The ad inaccurately suggests that one or both of the students are transgender, which the district refutes.
  • Oregon officials, including Senator Ron Wyden, have condemned the ad as misleading and harmful.

Controversial Use of Student Images

The controversy centers around a photo that appears in an anti-transgender ad published by Cruz’s campaign. The image shows two Oregon students, neither of whom identifies as transgender, according to the Beaverton School District. The ad was crafted as part of Cruz’s effort to paint Colin Allred as too liberal for Texas voters, specifically criticizing his support for policies that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.

One of the students is seen wearing a sweatshirt from Westview High School, which falls under the Beaverton School District’s jurisdiction. The district emphasized that it never gave permission for the use of the image, nor did the families of the students involved. They were alerted to the issue after being contacted by the national political publication, The Hill.

In an email to the Cruz campaign, the district’s representative criticized the misleading nature of the ad and expressed concern over using minors’ photos without consent, especially when those photos were taken out of context to imply false information.

Political and Community Response

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has also weighed in, urging Cruz to remove the ad and apologize for its deceptive nature. Wyden described the attack as “dishonest and deceitful,” saying it exploits two young women for political gain. He stressed that such tactics are harmful, particularly when they involve vulnerable minors.

Basic Rights Oregon, an LGBTQ advocacy group, also condemned the ad, saying that Oregon’s youth deserve respect and safety, not to be used as political tools. They accused Cruz’s campaign of amplifying divisive rhetoric, which has put minors at the center of a heated national debate.

Cruz Campaign’s Justification

Darin Miller, a spokesperson for Cruz’s campaign, defended the ad by claiming that it reflects Colin Allred’s voting record on transgender policies, which he described as “extreme.” Miller did not directly address the concerns about using the minors’ images without permission, nor the false implications surrounding their gender identities.

When pressed for further clarification on why minors were featured in a political ad without the appropriate consent, the campaign did not respond.

Let’s be honest: the Democrats are just mad that Cruz is talking about a problem that voters on both sides of the aisle are increasingly worried about.