School Board Member At Center Of Anti-Islamic Controversy Won't Step Down
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A school board member in Columbia Heights has no plans to resign, despite a vote Tuesday night asking him to do just that.
Grant Nichols is accused of making anti-Muslim comments on his Facebook account. It read, in part:
They are just unsanitary by bringing water into a bathroom and making a mess. Besides washing their feet, armpits, in the sinks in the bathrooms. They leave it a mess and no one says anything about that?
A special meeting was held last week to address the comments. During which, the board fell one vote short of removing him.
In the days that followed, students and teachers protested. Governor Mark Dayton even visited the school telling students he thought Nichols should resign.
Protests continued Tuesday night, with teachers marching in the street ahead of the scheduled school board meeting.
In the meeting itself, nearly 50 people voiced their opinions. Only one was in support of Nichols.
"Stay. When it comes time for re-election, the people can have their say then. But for now, you stay here," one speaker in support of Nichols said.
"It really baffles me and hurts me to hear an individual say such scrutiny against ones culture. Because it is so far off from what it means to respect and understand each other," high school senior Lizzy Lentz said.
"I know I didn't do nothing. I've been quiet because I know I haven't done anything. Most of these people that I've talked to, they're all spewing more hate and hate and all I want to do is conquer hate with love. And that's how things work out," Nichols said.
The meeting ended with a 3 -2 vote for Nichols to resign, but the motion is non-binding.
Nichols told WCCO he has no plans to step down and plans to serve out the remaining three years of his four-year term.
