Josephine Zhao
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco school board candidate has quit the race after apologizing for controversial remarks about the rights of transgender students.
The San Francisco Examiner says Josephine Zhao announced her withdrawal on the morning of Sept. 10 in a Facebook post.
Zhao was criticized after comments she made to Chinese-language media in 2013 recently surfaced. In those remarks, Zhao said legislation that allows transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity could lead to rape.
The ensuing controversy caused her to lose endorsements.
Zhou apologized last month. But the newspaper says that apology was undermined after Zhao acknowledged — in Chinese-language text messages to a chat group — that she doesn’t support the transgender restroom policy and only claimed to do so.