Video from the Nov. 25 EVSC board meeting. (Courtesy of Tri-State Alliance)

EVANSVILLE — A school board member was caught on video saying “cry me a river” to local activists who’d confronted the board about the needs of transgender students.

The Tri-State Alliance (TSA), an LGBTQ rights group for southeastern Illinois, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky, have been regular attendees at board meetings for the Evansville-Vandeburgh County School Corporation. Ten activists from the group had come to the Nov. 25 meeting to talk to the school board. The TSA said that six people had signed up to speak. Only one was able to speak to the board before being denied by board president Karen Ragland. The other five were able to speak only after TSA activists twice protested.

Afterwards, board member Ann Ennis confronted TSA members. The group said on their Facebook page that they had addressed transgender suicide with the board member, who then said there was no support on the board to protect the students. When TSA President Wally Paynter said she was transphobic, Ennis said “cry me a river” while making a violin-playing motion as she left the room.

The comment was caught on video by TSA members.

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