In what may be a battle of ethics and free speech, an elections board member has been asked to resign after allegedly sharing racist social media posts.
Georgia Senator Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, wants Henry County board of elections member Debbie Moon to resign after seeing shared Facebook posts he found offensive, he told Channel 2 Action News.
“I’m absolutely appalled that anyone that serves on a board in this county would see fit to post those kinds of racist, bigoted, hate-filled messages on their Facebook page,” he said.
Moon was elected to the board in September 2015. She is one of five people selected by the county to register voters and administer elections.
The county’s Democratic and Republican parties each elect two people to serve on the board. The county commission elects the other member.
Moon's personal Facebook pageis filled with anti-Hillary Clinton and pro-Donald Trump sentiments, but weaved in are posts that Jones said are racist.
One post Moon shared shows an officer with a caption: “If we really wanted you dead, we’d have to stop patrolling your neighborhoods.”
Another showed a picture of Black Lives Matter protests and said: “Has it occurred to anyone that if you’re able to organize this many people for a protest you can organize this many people to clean up your community and get rid of the criminal element causing the problem?”
Jones said the posts conflict with her duty to registered and potential voters.
“There’s ethical standards that she’s held to,” he said. “She’s placed on that board by the Republican party. The Republican party and its chair has a responsibility to endure that the person they put on the board is not racist or bigoted.”
But board chair Vicki Temple told Channel 2 that Moon is well within her right to post as she pleases.
“It’s not something I would post, but I believe in First Amendment rights,” Temple said. “She shouldn’t lose that right just because she’s elected to a board.”
Jones said sharing posts is more than that. “Anytime you share a post, you are putting your seal of approval and your stamp on whatever post that you share.”
Henry County Commission Chairman Tommy Smith agrees with Jones.
“If Debbie Moon is representing the board of elections, she’s got to be personally responsible for her comments,” he said. “In this case, her mouth could get her in trouble.”
Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp said anyone who has an issue with the posts can file a complaint with his office and they will investigate.
Moon did not respond to multiple interview requests by Channel 2. Her term ends in June 2017.
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