'I have never studied biology,' Biden judicial nominee says, can't say chromosomes determine sex

The refusal of one of President Biden's judicial candidates to answer the question of whether or not chromosomes define a person's biological sex has come under criticism.

The nominee has insisted that she has never studied biology and so is not equipped to answer the question, as The Washington Times reported.

When asked about the subject in a written question by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the most senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn protested her innocence of the matter.

The Questioning

“Is it possible to determine a person’s sex by only analyzing their chromosomes?” the South Carolina Republican asked the nominee.

“I have never studied biology and therefore I am unqualified to answer this question,” Judge Netburn said.

This back-and-forth was conducted in the form of written follow-up questions, which were posed after the confirmation hearing of the nominee, which took place one month ago.

During the hearing that took place on May 22, Republican senators questioned Judge Netburn about her decision to move a biological male child sex abuser to a female jail after the offender made the decision to identify as a female.

Origins of the Issue

The advice made by the Bureau of Prisons was in direct opposition to her decision to relocate the confinement of the prisoner.

The inmate had been found guilty of committing rape against two minors, a girl who was 17 years old and a kid who was nine years old.

The defendant was also found guilty of sharing information that glorifies sexual abuse of children.

More than a decade has passed since Judge Netburn began his career as a magistrate judge.

Biden put forward her name for consideration to be appointed to the position of federal judge for the Southern District of New York. She's the latest in a string of Biden administration officials with confusion about the issue of gender.