Kennebunk Official Resigns After Controversial Comments
A city official in Kennebunk, Maine, has stepped down from their position as a liaison to the local school board following backlash over comments linking critics of transgender athlete policies to “pedophilic tendencies.”
Leslie Trentalange, who serves as the vice chair of the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen, made these remarks during a Regional School Unit (RSU) 21 meeting on October 20. The conversation was centered on the district’s transgender student-athlete policy, which aligns with state law, allowing students to participate based on their gender identity.
Across Maine, parents and community members have voiced their objections to similar policies, arguing they infringe upon Title IX protections.
Trentalange, speaking as a “concerned community member,” asserted that most in the district believe all students should feel welcome. She characterized those opposing transgender policies as having a “creepy obsession” with the identities of students and claimed their fixation on genitals speaks to possible underlying guilt regarding their own tendencies. “There’s a registry for that,” she remarked, heightening the controversy.
Her statements prompted gasps from the audience, and the RSU 21 School Board Chairman, Matthew Stratford, immediately responded by labeling her comments as “inappropriate.”
However, Trentalange stood by her words, saying, “I don’t think it was inappropriate.” This led to criticism and calls for accountability from some community members, who submitted letters to the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen and shared their grievances on social media.
John Salamone, a Republican candidate for the Maine State Senate, accused Trentalange of violating the town’s code of conduct and demanded a reprimand. He expressed that her remarks undermine public trust in local governance, stating, “When an elected official uses his platform to publicly denigrate citizens, it undermines the integrity of this commission.”
Some residents supported Salamone’s view, while others defended Trentalange’s comments as a matter of free speech, arguing she should not be compelled to apologize. “Suppressing free speech is not the way to go,” remarked Karen Platts, responding to calls for punitive actions.
Trentalange admitted her comments might have “pushed the envelope” but refused to apologize to critics, instead expressing regret for any distress caused to the “queer community.” She noted that she is resigning from her liaison position to prevent confusion regarding her role in the school district, though she will maintain her vice chair position on the Board of Selectmen.
Neither RSU 21, Trentalange, nor the Select Committee responded to requests for comment. In a statement released on October 27, Matthew Stratford reaffirmed that the district’s transgender policies comply with the Maine Human Rights Act and would not be reconsidered this school year, while emphasizing that harassment and disrespectful language would not be tolerated at public meetings.
