The outrage mob is out in full force, and are taking as many prisoners as possible. One of the first victims in Michigan is Grand Ledge School Supervisor Brian Metcalf, who has been fired over a Facebook post with a friend on his personal page.
According to MLive – The Grand Ledge school board voted to fire its superintendent Friday after he partly blamed George Floyd for his fatal encounter with police.
Brian Metcalf will be placed on paid leave until his dismissal is finalized.
Metcalf had said on Facebook that Floyd’s death in Minneapolis was “wrong.” But he also said, “it all starts with being a law-abiding citizen,” and that Floyd was suspected of using counterfeit money.
Metcalf, who is white, had apologized and said he would undergo diversity training. The school board appeared to accept it earlier this week, but opposition in the community grew.
The board heard hours of public comment during a special meeting, the Associated Press reported.
“As the leader of our school system, Dr. Metcalf’s ignorance has left our school district and community tarnished by making tone-deaf remarks about a socially charged topic,” said Greg Almy, leader of the teachers union.
The Lansing State Journal reports – The Grand Ledge Public Schools Board of Education appointed David Chapin, a former superintendent of East Lansing Public Schools, as interim superintendent Monday night, just a few days after voting unanimously to move toward terminating Superintendent Brian Metcalf’s employment.
According to his contract, last renewed in January 2019, his annual base salary is set at a rate not less than $212,000. The contract expires Dec. 31, 2023.
Dufort declined to discuss the process for finalizing Metcalf’s termination beyond the action officials took Friday.
At Monday’s meeting, Trustee Ben Cwayna said Metcalf has a right to a hearing on the charges coming from the district before he can be removed from his position as superintendent.
Just under a dozen people spoke in support of Metcalf at Monday night’s meeting, including Mike Franco. He said his children attended Grand Ledge schools, and he never experienced racism within the district.
“To lose his job over this and to have his family go through this, I don’t get it,” he said.
“Brian is a good man,” said Chris Cambas, who lives out of state. “I don’t think his intention was to harm anyone in any way.”
Erica Ledesma presented a list of demands at Monday night’s meeting from the Grand Ledge Alliance for Diversity, a newly-formed group.
The alliance is asking for an apology from the board to families harmed by systemic racism within the district, Ledesma said, as well as an effort to recruit students and staff of color, a plan for ensuring “inclusion, diversity and equity” within the district and the creation of a parent task force focused on the same goal.
Was there anything Superintendent Metcalf said that wasn’t true about the interaction never happening between George Floyd and Officer Chauvin in the first place if he didn’t break the law? In his Facebook post, Metcalf clarifies his position about Floyd’s death, saying he was not excusing the actions of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, he was only suggesting that not breaking the law in the first place is a good first step in avoiding conflict with law enforcement.
Do you agree with Brian Metcalf? Do you think he should have been fired? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
