A social media comment reportedly made by a General McLane High School faculty member on a Pennsylvania news story on our Erie News Now facebook page has apparently caused a firestorm of reaction in the school district.
General McLane School District Director of Communications and Administrative Services Sarah Grabski tells Erie News Now that the posted comment was taken down Sunday morning by the person who posted it, but not before the school district received more than 100 calls to complain about the remarks.
The comment was made in response to a KDKA story on our Erie News Now facebook page and linked to our ENN website. The news story involved an Allegheny County employee who faced being fired for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Erie News Now has seen screen shots of the posted remarks. They touch on a number of the issues hotly debated regarding vaccines, religious exemptions, and risks to others around unvaccinated people. But the post also suggested that the GOP employ gun violence against its constituents who think this way.
In response to the concerns raised, the General McLane School District posted the following statement on its facebook page:
The district is aware of a potentially inappropriate social media comment by a staff member. The district will investigate the matter and act accordingly. In all situations, the district's utmost concern is the safety of our students and staff.
Grabski said Superintendent Matthew Lane would not comment on any consequences for the faculty member, because the issue is a personnel matter.
Erie News Now has learned that in response to the initial social media comment, other inappropriate comments followed, including posting the faculty member's phone number.
Again, the matter is under investigation by General McLane School District officials.