School board member defends himself over racist social media post

PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Peters Township School Board member is defending himself to Channel 11 because of a Facebook post some say is racist and inappropriate.

The post included racist propaganda that has been shared by hate groups and targets African Americans.

You can now customize your WPXI News App to receive alerts to Washington County news.  CLICK HERE to find out how.

School board member Bill Merrell told Channel 11 it's from 2017.

The caption that allegedly came from him said: 'Crime in the burg would go down for sure.'

TRENDING NOW:

"It was a hack two years ago," Merrell said, telling Channel 11 someone else is responsible for the post.

Multiple parents in the Peters Township School District contacted Channel 11 because they were upset by the post.

The district acknowledged the issue and told Channel 11 they are aware of the concerning allegations regarding the Facebook post and that the comments in no way reflect the values of the school district. The controversy comes less than a week before school board elections.

"If people can say something I did wrong, tell me about it or they can vote. That's an opportunity for them, too," Merrell said.

Cox Media Group