A former professional wrestling champion turned vice chairman of the Cherokee County Board of Education has been accused of verbally harassing a transgender woman in the industry at a Los Angeles fan event over the weekend.
Robert Rechsteiner, who is widely known as Rick Steiner, a name he adopted during his professional wrestling days from roughly 1983 to 2001, was banned from WrestleCon on Saturday after he allegedly hurled transphobic comments at trans wrestler Gisele Shaw, according to media reports.
Shaw said that as she was walking toward a table to sign autographs for fans, Steiner allegedly launched into a verbal tirade against her, challenging her gender and calling her a “piece of trash” and “filth.”
“I was shocked and could not believe that this was even happening,” Shaw said in a post on Twitter on Saturday, the day after International Transgender Day of Visibility. “To have someone saying those comments who a lot of people look up to and consider their hero was quite shocking and disheartening.”
Steiner, who has been on the Cherokee school board since winning election in 2006, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday afternoon. Efforts to reach other officials with the district were also unsuccessful as the district is on spring break.
Credit: Cherokee County School District
Credit: Cherokee County School District
The three-day WrestleCon is a fan experience, allowing them to take pictures with or get autographs from stars old and new.
In a tweet, officials behind the event apologized for Shaw’s treatment without detailing what happened or tying the incident to Steiner.
“WrestleCon regrets the events that took place at yesterday’s convention and apologizes to Gisele Shaw,” the tweet said. “We aim to promote a safe and inclusive environment for all LGBTQAI+ members of the wrestling community. The issue has been addressed and we hope the remainder of the convention can be a positive experience for all.”
Impact Wrestling, for whom Shaw was representing, said in a statement: “We are saddened by the incident Friday afternoon at Wrestlecon in Los Angeles and hope everyone can learn and be better from it. Thank you to the millions worldwide who have read Gisele’s statement and showed full support for her. Particular thanks go to the organizing staff of Wrestlecon as well as the IMPACT roster and crew who all handled an ugly situation with the utmost professionalism.”
Steiner won reelection in 2022 to a fifth term on the Cherokee school board. At the time, opponents of the sitting board members accused the district of supporting critical race theory, which while not taught in Cherokee was still a potent weapon used nationally to unseat incumbents in politically conservative communities.
Shaw said on Twitter that she had been bullied all her life, but that she was not going to be frightened into hiding anymore.
“The bullies in my life have always silenced me, but that ends today,” she wrote.
