Fort Worth, TEXAS – A member of the Fort Worth Independent School District’s  (FWISD) school board released personal information of school parents online, encouraging the internet to go after them as revenge on the parents who sued the school district over a mask mandate.

Four White parents were involved in this lawsuit, which has temporarily postponed the mandate pending the case going to trial in January 2022. A disgruntled school board member, Norma Garcia-Lopez, left a scathing, explicit voice message for one of the involved parents from a blocked number.

“F*** you, you stupid b****. F*** you with your White privilege, not caring about the well-being of others, f*** you,” Garcia-Lopez said in the voicemail left for one of the parents.

Then she went and publicized the personal information of these parents such as where they work, where they live, and their phone numbers on social media. Garcia-Lopez even encouraged her followers to go after these parents.

“It’s astounding what the “White Privilege” power from Tanglewood has vs a whole diverse community that cares for the well being of others. These are their names: Jennifer Treger, Todd Daniel, Kerri Rehmeyer and a coward Jane Doe. Internet do your thang. #FortWorth #MaskMandates”

 

Kerri Rehmeyer, one of the involved parents, has received angry voicemails at work as a result of Garcia-Lopez’s social media posts. A prior client also told Rehmeyer she hoped she died. Some of the parents’ businesses are even getting negative reviews online now from people who aren’t even clients.

Meanwhile, Garcia-Lopez, co-chair of the Racial Equity Committee, has complained about the backlash she has received which somehow, in her opinion, is unwarranted and unjust. Although her social media actions have led to the parents being threatened and publicly shamed, Garcia-Lopez is now playing the victim because she, in turn, has received threats and offensive comments as a result of her own inappropriate actions.

“They sent a lynch mob to attack me,” complained Garcia-Lopez, “They want to silence me from advocating for equity, by pressuring me into resigning as co-chair of the Racial Equity Committee.”

All that happened to Garcia-Lopez was public backlash for the unprofessional and damaging posts she chose to make on her social media accounts. She seems surprised that she was not held up on a pedestal for her social media and telephone outbursts. Did she expect everyone would praise her for her improper behavior?

Even after this all came to light, the school board continues to defend Garcia-Lopez and has not held her accountable for her actions. That a co-chair should get away with treating parents like this is totally unacceptable and should undoubtedly result in termination. However, because she isn’t White and claims to be fighting against social injustice, she faces no consequences for her actions.

A former member of the Racial Equity Committee, Carlos Turcios, criticized the school board for supporting Garcia-Lopez’s actions. “It is unacceptable that the ISD is not holding the co-chair accountable for her actions. She doxxed parents and financially impacted one of the parents’ businesses,” Turcios said. “What type of leadership is the committee and FWISD showing to its students? That bullying and intimidation are OK? That it’s fine to leave voicemails harassing parents if they disagree with you?”

Despite the school board’s support, Forth Worth parents are demanding that Garcia-Lopez be fired over her appalling actions.