'Unbelievable statement': School board chair resigns after controversial Facebook post

KENNEBUNK, Maine (WGME) — A school board chair in Maine has resigned over something she posted on Facebook.

In the controversial comment, Board Chair Erin Nadeau seemed to compare people at a district budget meeting to those at a KKK rally.

On Monday, people packed into an RSU 21 budget meeting, with some hoping to show solidarity.

“We were asked by teachers to wear red for education,” RSU 21 parent Melissa McCue-McGrath said.

A woman posted on Facebook about the meeting. Nadeau responded, writing, "And the cowards in the back row cheering like they were at a rally. Except instead of sheets, they wore red."

“It was like, ‘Wow.’ Thats really, that's a really unbelievable statement,” RSU 21 parent Beth Tonneson Fossett said.

“Knowing that my 11-year-old, who was wearing red in support of her teachers, was also likely lumped in with that was just heartbreaking,” McCue-McGrath said.

In her resignation letter, Nadeau claimed the comment was "not meant for public consumption" and she wasn't speaking in "any official capacity." She went on to apologize, saying, "I missed the mark."

Nadeau didn't respond to WGME’s requests for comment.

“I'm pleased that she recognized she needed to resign,” Tonneson Fossett said.

The woman whose post led to the comment said Nadeau apologized right away and edited it. She thinks Nadeau was exhausted after being the target of personal attacks.

There's frustration on every level of this district, whether you're on the board, whether you're in the community,” McCue-McGrath said.

Many parents described serious divisions and conflicts in the district.

“I wish that the board would listen a little more closely to what people are trying to say,” Tonneson Fossett said.

“I think the ball is in the administration's court, and the board's court, to see if they really want to repair the bridges that have been burning over the last year,” McCue-McGrath said.

Both parents would like to see more communication about this from the district.

“I want the best for our community,” Tonneson Fossett said.

The district said it will begin the process of selecting a new school board chair during their meeting Monday.

Last spring, a board member resigned after making hateful online posts about transgender people, people of color and women.

The Press Herald reports another board member took out an ad in a local newspaper to announce she'd step down last August. She cited concerns the district was too focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.