Outrage after school board member shares photo of lynching noose

Feb 20, 2018

A school board member in Louisiana is facing backlash after sharing a violent meme containing an image of a noose on social media.

Tangipahoa Parish School Board member Mike Whitlow posted the image of a noose which had the caption, “If we want to make America great again we will have to make evil people fear punishment again.”

The image was reportedly first posted on the Weapons Vault Facebook page back in October and shared by Whitlow on Monday.

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WWL TV reported that Whitlow has since apologized to those who were offended by his social media post and he deleted the disturbing image from his account.

On Tuesday he told the media that the image stood out to him because he feels violent offenders should face heavy prison sentences.

Tangipahoa Parish council member Louis Joseph sent a letter to Action News 17 on Monday condemning Whitlow’s actions.

“I am extremely offended by his post as we all know the history and meaning of the hangman’s noose, especially as it pertains to African Americans,” read the statement.

“As a member of the school board, what message are you sending to the students, employees, and parents of our school system, let alone people that may be considering moving into our parish?”

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“You later apologized to all that read your post; however, I remind you that Proverbs 23:7 says “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he,” added Joseph, who is a former superintendent of the Tangipahoa Parish School District.

Whitlow released a statement addressing the controversy:

I am deeply saddened by the misplaced reaction to a Facebook repost made yesterday. As a resident and public servant of Tangipahoa Parish, I value public safety and have been upset by recent violent attacks on innocent people in our great nation. Personally, I believe that, as a country, we would be better served by more stringent sentences of imprisonment for violent offenders. Yesterday, I came across an article on Facebook that advocated for such stiffer sentences for violent offenses and simply shared the article on my personal Facebook page.

The article had no racial or discriminatory overtones whatsoever; however, after receiving comments on the article regarding an attached photograph, I immediately removed the link and apologized if the reposting offended anyone. For those that know me, I am confident that you will attest that I am a man of faith and inclusion. For those that do not know me, I encourage you to ask someone who does know me if you believe that the reposting causes you any concern. My record shows that I have a good heart and work tirelessly to help those in need. In closing, I again apologize if anyone took offense at the reposting and look forward to continuing my volunteer efforts to help those in my community.