School board rips member’s Facebook posts as racist, sexist

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The School Board in Vermont’s largest city has condemned Facebook posts of a board member that were widely deemed racist and sexist.

In a unanimous vote with board member David Kirk absent Thursday evening, the Burlington School Board said his posts to the social network were “contrary to the fundamental philosophy and goals of this School Board,” which denounces them “without reservation.”

“The Board affirms that commissioners should aspire to engage in public actions that are consistent with our goals to value diversity and inclusion of marginalized and disenfranchised groups,” the resolution added.

The board stopped short of asking for Kirk’s resignation, instead saying it would adopt “a restorative approach to this event” and “acknowledges Commissioner Kirk’s apology for the posts and steps to make amends, including participation in Board diversity and equity trainings and social media training.”

In Burlington, a city of about 40,000 known for progressive politics and where Sen. Bernie Sanders once served as mayor, a furor erupted after media reports about Kirk’s posts and a tweet by an unsuccessful state House candidate suggesting President Barack Obama should be hanged for treason.

One of Kirk’s posts suggested he was more offended by images of blacks wearing baggy pants than by posts about the Confederate flag. Another showed a woman in her underwear, tied to a bed.

A third appeared to use sarcasm to complain about immigrant families and children. “Oh you came to start a new life in my country?” it said. “Please tell me more about how our schools and traditions have to change to meet your needs.”

Kirk did not immediately respond Friday to a voicemail left for him at a number provided by a school official. He apologized when the controversy first erupted last month. He said he was sharing posts that did not originate with him, but called doing so “inexcusable.”

Stephanie Seguino, vice chairwoman of the School Board and chair of its committee on diversity, said in an interview Friday that the board will be reviewing its ethics policies to see if they need to be tightened to address offensive online behavior by members.

“There are boundaries around free speech,” she said. Board members have “an obligation to behave in ways that support the goals of our (school) district.”