Horrible School Board Member Posts Homophobic Facebook Rants

An Arkansas school board member wrote on Facebook, “I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die.” His district has condemned his statements, but they can’t fire him.

According to The Advocate, Midland School District Vice President Clint McCance responded to local students wearing purple last week by posting the following homophobic rant on his Facebook page:

Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE.

McCance then responded to comments on the page with even more vitriol:

[B]eing a fag doesn’t give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives. They dont bother me if they keep it to thereselves. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it.

He added that, “I would disown my kids they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs. See it infects everyone.” In response to outrage over his comments, McCance has said, “I have a family to consider.” Arkansas Times editor Max Brantley says, “You know, there are millions of people that have family to consider with gay kids who worry about their safety in schools, and you’ve got a school board member who doesn’t sound like he’s very concerned about it.”

According to CNN, Midland School District officials have condemned McCance’s bigotry. Said the superintendent in a statement, “The district strives to foster an environment that discourages all forms of bullying and an environment that encourages a safe and productive educational climate of all of our students. The district is very diligent in pursuing and addressing bullying of any variety on our campuses.” And Arkansas Dept. of Education communications director Julie Thompson added that the department is “dismayed to see that a school board official would post something of this insensitive nature on a public forum like Facebook.”

But dismay may be all the department can offer. Since McCance’s position is an elected one, the Department of Education can’t simply fire him — says Thompson, “In Arkansas law, the only way to recall a school board member is over a felony [committed by him or her] or absentee issues.” So basically as long McCance keeps showing up for work, he can keep on encouraging gay kids to commit suicide all he wants. For now, Thompson says her department “will monitor and quickly respond to any bullying of students that may occur because of this, as we have with other civil rights issues in the past.” But for students who have just been cruelly insulted by an official who’s supposed to protect and help them, this may not be much comfort.

Arkansas Officials Condemn Anti-Gay Comments On Facebook [CNN]
School Official Wants Gays Dead [Advocate]
McCance: I Have Family To Consider [Advocate]