Rep. Laurel Libby is a licensed nurse. The American Nurses Association, the professional organization for all nurses in the U.S., has a 10-point code of ethics.

Provision one is “The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.”

While Rep. Libby was not a direct health care provider for the transgender teen she exposed on social media, she demonstrated poor judgement and dangerous behavior in her social media post.

Transgender people are at increased risk of assault and homicide. Two weeks ago, police in New York discovered the body of a transgender man who had been tortured and murdered. Between 2017 and 2023, 263 transgender people were murdered, and in 2023 that number was 35. While these are small numbers of people who died, the number of people in the U.S. who identify as transgender is only around 1.6 million.

Another concern is the likelihood of bullying that escalated with this social media post. A former colleague, also living in Maine, had a child who transitioned from male to female. She was constantly bullied in her high school, and she turned to substance use to cope with the stress and ultimately died of an overdose.

Rep. Libby could have activated the chain of command. Specifically, she could have spoken directly to the coach, the principal of the school, or the superintendent of the school system.

Using her leadership platform to publicly post her concerns on social media was child endangerment.

Kelley Bowden, Naples