Former Google director resigns from school board after his wife’s vulgar tweet about Kamala Harris
A Menlo Park school president gave his resignation last weekend after his wife’s insensitive comments about Vice President-elect Kamala Harris caused outrage online.
Jon Venverloh said that he was vacating his position at the Las Lomitas Elementary School District.
His wife, Mehridith Philips Venverloh, made a tweet last Sunday responding to comments about Kamala Harris’ qualifications saying that
“all she needs to be qualified is a black p***y! No brain needed!”
Wife’s racist tweets about VP-elect Harris spur Northern California official to resign https://t.co/fvV5H4zRR2
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 10, 2020
She then went on to make further criticisms, which caused a number of parents to demand her husband’s resignation.
Upon announcing his resignation, Jon said he was against his wife’s “reprehensible views” but that due to the situation
“I know that my continued service would be a distraction from the work that needs to be done.”
I hope Mehridith Philips Venverloh does some introspection & finds a kinder, more accepting path of Christianity. Be a better role model for your 4 girls. This is your chance.https://t.co/hfMtaCEJFF
— PasEncore (@PasEncore16) November 10, 2020
Jon, who previously worked as a Google executive, became part of the school board back in 2018 and had a couple of years left in his term.
Mehridith later made an apology, saying her vulgarities were written “in a moment of disappointment.”
“I am deeply sorry and ashamed,” she said and added that she has been on medications for a “debilitating neurological disease” but had been easing down on them in preparation for a scheduled hospitalization.
“I believe that the change in medication reduced my judgment between right and wrong when I made the posts,” she added.
Wife's racist tweets about #KamalaHarris spur Las Lomitas Elementary School District board official to resign #MenloPark https://t.co/kTj4htD7cR pic.twitter.com/SvZm91N42G
— KTVU (@KTVU) November 10, 2020
Other board members of the district said Mehridith’s remarks were “racially-based and gender-based hatred.”
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