SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Ohio officials say a website unveiled by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to promote her campaign to ban transgender women from women’s sports is using photos without consent.
Ohio Democratic state lawmaker Casey Weinstein says the website “Defend Title IX Now” features images from Hudson, Ohio and other neighboring communities. Hudson City School District officials told KELO-TV in an email to the station they did not give permission for anyone to display the photos and object to them being used “in a political endeavor.”
Weinstein wrote in the letter “If you did not secure permission to feature the Hudson Lady Explorers, I must ask you to remove their photographs immediately. It is inappropriate to promote minors who do not necessarily agree with your transphobic policies as the faces of your campaign.”
A former player for the Hudson Lady Explorers also took to Twitter to condemn the use of the photo.
Noem spokesman Ian Fury says the site is not run by the state and the web developer obtained the rights to all the photographs.
However, by this afternoon, the photo was removed from the website and replaced with a different photo of a team huddle where no faces are shown. Fury said the rights to that photo were obtained.
