School Board member steps down
Islamophobic remarks negatively affect community
October 26, 2015
After weeks of denying he posted racist comments on his Facebook, Columbia Heights School Board member Grant Nichols finally steps down, still claiming he did not post the Islamophobic remarks.
In the post, Grant Nichols targeted Muslims, calling them “unsanitary.” Later, he denied ever posting these comments and claims his phone was taken from him.
Many teachers, residents and students within the community requested his resignation. The community protested multiple times against Nichols by holding forums and a walkout which included the student body, teachers and the school principal.
After all these attempts, Nichols finally resigned Oct. 13. He still refuses to take responsibility for his actions, instead saying he can’t deal with the negativity directed at him from the community.
Nichols should have been immediately removed from the board when the incident happened. However, one of the six board members voted in his favor, and he was not removed.
This one vote allowed Nichols to face no enforced repercussions for his actions and allowed him to get away with posting racist comments in a diverse community where 75 percent of students identify as non-white.
Although Nichols did the right thing by stepping down, he did it for the wrong reasons. He didn’t do it out of remorse or regret, but instead tried to save some of his public appeal.
During his resignation, he made a foolish attempt to try and right his wrong by saying the school should add foot washing stations. Although he may have a valid point, Nichols only said this to mask his racial prejudice and make the public see him as the victim.
Nichols should have been removed as soon as he posted the Islamophobic remarks on his Facebook page. His resignation does not make up for what he did because he resigned to save his public image, not because he felt he did anything wrong.
