Report: Utah State Sen. Kathleen Riebe asked not to be assigned LGBTQ, LDS interns

An independent investigation for the Utah Senate found that Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, made statements based on sexual orientation and other protected characteristics. It also found she directed staff on intern placements and engaged in a pattern of conduct toward a Senate staffer motivated by race and ethnicity. Riebe acknowledged telling staff she did not want interns “coming out of the closet” placed with her.

The findings come from a lawmaker who has publicly opposed anti-LGBTQ legislation, voted against anti-trans bills and received Equality Utah’s endorsement.

The 19-page report is dated Oct. 26. It concludes that Riebe’s conduct violated the Legislature’s Workplace Discrimination Prevention policy. Investigators used a “more likely than not” standard, which is lower than a criminal standard of proof.

The Salt Lake Tribune, FOX 13 and KUTV obtained heavily redacted copies through public records requests. The staffer who filed the complaint is not named in the released version.

LGBTQ findings

The staffer’s complaint, filed Sept. 14, said that since 2024 Riebe had said she did not want “any intern who had just come out of the closet.”

Witnesses gave similar accounts. One said Riebe told staff not to pick anyone for her “who was gay.” Another said the senator remarked, “don’t give me any gay interns.” A third said she heard Riebe was “disappointed” when Democratic senators had LGBTQ interns. The report says that staffer noted every Democratic senator has had an LGBTQ intern.

Riebe denied saying she did not want “gay boys” as interns. She did acknowledge telling two staffers she did not want interns who were coming out of the closet placed with her, according to the report.

Investigators concluded that Riebe expressly directed staff on the basis of sexual orientation. They noted it is unclear whether any placement decisions were actually made that way. They also found legislative employees “felt pressured to do so.” The complainant told investigators that she and a colleague tried to select interns who were not gay, though she recognized that doing so was discriminatory.

Two witnesses also said Riebe blamed the transgender and LGBTQ community for Democratic losses. One recalled that at a session lunch, the senator said “immigrant issues” and “queer issues” cost the party the election, adding words to the effect of “what these people have done to the party.” That witness said Riebe “has a very bigoted view of people’s value and people’s worth.” Riebe denied blaming LGBTQ people or immigrants for the loss.

The report says she also made remarks about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One witness said she did not want LDS interns either.

Investigators acknowledged that senators routinely debate policies affecting LGBTQ people and immigrants, and said a policy position alone does not establish a violation. They concluded, however, that the “specific language and tone” Riebe used, and the presence of non-legislator staff, meant the statements violated the policy.

A public record of support

Riebe has been a visible supporter of LGBTQ rights during her time in the Legislature.

In February 2025, she opposed HB269, which requires transgender students at public universities to live in dorms matching their sex at birth. During the Senate debate, she criticized lawmakers for writing a “heavy-handed law” in response to “one case blowing up social media,” according to Utah News Dispatch. She called the bill “overreach.” The bill passed the Senate 22-7.

In a Transgender Day of Remembrance post in 2025, Riebe wrote: “Trans rights are human rights. Full stop. In the Legislature, I have fought against every single anti-trans bill that has come to the Senate Floor and in each of my committees.” She said she was the sole “no” vote on HB269 in her committee and one of seven senators to oppose it on the floor.

In 2022, during the vote to override Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of a bill barring transgender girls from girls’ school sports, Riebe accused some Republicans of “political theater.”

She has also attended Utah Pride events and posted Pride greetings on Facebook. She has walked in Pride events alongside Derek Kitchen, an openly gay former state senator and Equality Utah co-founder who ran for Utah’s 1st Congressional District. Equality Utah’s political action committee has endorsed her over several election cycles.

Race, ethnicity and gender

Investigators found a pattern of conduct toward the staffer that was motivated at least in part by her race, national origin or ethnicity, and that interfered with her job. The staffer is a non-white immigrant. She told investigators she believes she was mistreated because she is “Brown.”

Witnesses described a Riebe comment during a meeting on dual-language immersion programs. Riebe allegedly asked, “Why would we teach [redacted]? Who even speaks [redacted]?” The staffer is a native speaker of that language. Three witnesses corroborated the comment. Riebe said she does not recall it.

Witnesses also described comments about immigrants, including questions about in-state tuition for people in the country illegally. Riebe denied those accounts.

The staffer also alleged that Riebe commented on her clothes and shoes, asking whether she rents her clothes. She alleged that during her pregnancy Riebe called her “fat” and “huge.” Witnesses corroborated those accounts, and one called the remarks “cruel.” Riebe said she remarked on the staffer’s wardrobe, including “you have $2000 pair of shoes?”, but denied commenting on her body during pregnancy.

One witness told investigators, “I do believe that Senator Riebe has issues with women of color.” The report says the senators Riebe complained about most were women of color, most often Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla.

Investigators noted that the only two witnesses who spoke favorably of Riebe were white staffers she had treated warmly. They found one of those witnesses not credible and gave limited weight to the other’s account. They said Riebe herself “did not provide credible responses to several questions.”

Riebe’s counter-complaint

On Sept. 21, Riebe filed her own complaint, alleging the staffer had worked on Escamilla’s mayoral campaign. She called the staffer’s complaint retaliation. The Tribune reported that the allegation rested on a social media post.

Investigators concluded, “the evidence does not support the claim.” Multiple witnesses said the staffer was not working on a campaign, and that there was essentially no campaign to work on at the time.

Political fallout

Senate Democrats voted Nov. 3 to expel Riebe from their caucus and called on her to resign. They announced it less than an hour before polls closed on Election Day. Escamilla, Minority Whip Karen Kwan and Sens. Jen Plumb, Stephanie Pitcher and Nate Blouin issued the joint statement.

“No elected official or leader is above accountability,” they wrote.

Riebe refused. “I am not resigning,” she said in a statement. “Fair process matters. Voters have entrusted me with public office four times.” She also said she takes workplace concerns seriously but disputes “material characterizations of my conduct.” She said she intends to use internal processes to address the caucus decision and remains “committed to Democratic values.”

Asked for comment Friday, Riebe told FOX 13 she had not seen the report. After receiving a copy, she said she needed time to review it.

Riebe was first elected in 2018. She briefly ran for Utah’s newly drawn 1st Congressional District this year before dropping out to endorse Ben McAdams. Her term runs through Jan. 1, 2029.

The report’s recommended corrective actions are redacted.