We join the groundswell expressing the need for State Board of Education member, Patrick McPherson, to resign his post. OPS Board of Educations public statement, released today, said it best: The Board of Education of the Omaha Public Schools strongly believes in the protection of the exercise of free speech. Comments made over the past several years on the blog sponsored by State Board of Education Member Patrick McPherson deserve that same protection. However, we also recognize that the exercise of the right of free speech, particularly by public officials, sometimes has consequences. We believe this to be one of those times. As public officials, we are, and should be, held to a higher standard. The postings on Mr. McPhersons blog referring to the President of the United States in an abhorrent, derogatory and clearly offensive manner, while legal and protected, are nonetheless inappropriate for an elected official, especially one who plays a critical role in the education of our children. We join Governor Ricketts and the host of others who have called on Mr. McPherson to resign. His presence on the State Board of Education has become a distraction at a time when we should be focusing on improving the quality of education in Nebraska. We are concerned that every future decision by Mr. McPherson will be scrutinized not for its merits, but rather for his animus. We hope that the comments on Mr. McPhersons blog, and the growing reaction to them, will serve as a teaching moment that helps our students, and all of us, understand that the words we post, or allow to be posted under our banner, have meaning.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 05:52:12 +0000
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