Matt Giffin, reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he was the sole journalist that attended the federal hearing on Monday in the case of transgender alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure, who was ordered by the federal district court judge to be temporarily released to a residential mental health facility rather than stay in federal custody.
McClure, who identifies as a transgender man and prefers the name “Kalvin,” was arrested April 29 on cyberstalking charges after making a public threat against Governor Bill Lee and leaving a concerning voicemail to her former school, Christ Presbyterian Academy, in March, which caused two schools to shut down the following day.
The threatening voicemail was left days before the anniversary of the Covenant School shooting, which saw a former Covenant student who identified as transgender – 28-year old Audrey Elizabeth Hale – enter the school and murder six people before being killed by police.
McClure has been held in federal custody up until Monday, when Judge Alistair E. Newbern ordered she be transported to the mental health facility Pasadena Villa in Sevierville, Tennessee that same day.
Giffin, who joined Monday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show after attending Monday’s hearing, said he was the only reporter present in the courtroom.
“I was the sole reporter,” Giffin said.
Giffin said the hearing primarily focused on McClure’s proposal to be released to the mental health facility, to which the judge was “very warm” to the idea.
“[The judge] was very warm toward the defense’s proposal early on it appeared. She had some questions. The government at first opposed the defense’s proposal, but after testimony from a representative from the facility, both the government and the judge appeared to be very warm to the plan,” Giffin explained.
Giffin went on to lay out the certain conditions upon McClure’s release to Pasadena Villa.
“McClure was released to this facility, which is an inpatient mental health facility in Sevierville, Tennessee called Pasadena Villa. She will be there on certain conditions, one of which being that McClure is not allowed to leave without notification being made to law enforcement. If she does decide to leave, law enforcement is mandated to be notified by the facility, according to the judge’s order,” Giffin said.
“There are several other conditions upon McClure’s release, including no change in resident status without the court being notified. Throughout every day of her residence there, she will be checked on every 15 minutes with an in-person set of eyes on her as well as digital verification using a wristband the facility gives patients. No internet access, no contact with anyone affiliated with Christ Presbyterian Academy or with Christ Presbyterian Church – the school that she sent the threatening message to originally that got her charged and ultimately arrested. Those are really the main [conditions],” Giffin added.
Giffin also noted how McClure, being transgender, was referred to by he/him pronouns by the judge during the hearing.
“Throughout the hearing, all of them – the judge, the defense, and the government – all referred to McClure using he/him pronouns and as ‘Mr. McClure.’ So there was no reference to her biological gender,” Giffin said.
“McClure did appear in court. I did get to see her. She does definitely present more as male than female. Her hair is short, she has a, I don’t know if it’s a real beard or not, but a beard on her face. Her voice is definitely lower,” Giffin added.
Giffin also stressed that the charges against McClure have not been dropped despite her request to be released into a mental health facility being granted.
“It appears that the government’s intention is to still have these charges looked at and possibly, hopefully, brought to a conviction. It doesn’t look like they’re going to do that until they go through this treatment…Charges have not been dropped,” Giffin said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
