School Board Asks Newly Appointed Member to Resign Over Teacher-Bashing Tweets

The Jefferson Parish School Board in Louisiana has asked newly appointed board member Rafael Rafidi to resign days after swearing him into the role, according to a board statement. The call for his resignation follows uproar over “provocative positions” which the board said would render him “ineffective” as a district representative. A review of Rafidi’s social media activity following his appointment revealed a trove of profane-laced comments disparaging teachers, boasting about marching to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 last year, and attacking lawmakers who criticized former President Donald Trump. “He presented himself as a family man of strong faith with a commitment to education,” the board wrote before apologizing for its “oversight” of his social media remarks. The school board said it was after Rafidi’s appointment on Wednesday that it became aware of “the non-civil tone, profane language and generalized condemnation of opposing ideological groups” posted by Rafidi online, which it said was both “indefensible and inconsistent” with its commitment to unity and mutual respect.