Teachers already fear for their lives in schools. They should not also have to fear for their lives from their board members. Ed Kelley must resign now.

Ed Kelley has been asked to resign from the Charleston County school board after a woman alleged he publicly stated during a recent conservative group chapter meeting that if his child’s teacher came out as transgender, he would show up at the educator’s doorstep with a gun.

Kelley reportedly made the comments this month during a Moms for Liberty meeting, at which he is said to have shared that a district teacher asked students to call him “Mr.” instead of “Ms.,” local resident Adrienne Lett told the school board on March 27.

Kelley told the Moms for Liberty group on March 16 in Mount Pleasant that he threatened to have Superintendent Don Kennedy fired if he didn’t place the teacher on administrative leave, Lett said.

At the board meeting, Lett asked Kelley to step down from his elected position.

“Threatening the livelihoods of district employees is unacceptable conduct by a board member,” said Lett, who is a member of the LGBTQ community.

Kelley agreed to speak with The Post and Courier after the meeting, which ended a minute before midnight. He later provided a statement instead.

“The topic of the accusations leveraged against me were discussed in executive session tonight,” Kelley wrote in a text message. “Therefore, I’m prohibited by policy to discuss it outside of the Board.”

 

Ed Kelley is knowingly misrepresenting policy to try and protect himself.