we begin tonight as we always do people honest with the arkansas school board
officials were shocked the nation
his name is clint mccance use the school board vice president for midland school
district
in history arkansas that's the picture we have him
from his facebook page he set off a national uproar when some of his
facebook postings about bullied a kids in suicide were made public
before hearing from mister ricks hands i want you to hear
what he wrote
is apparently ticked off about a nationwide call by activist last
wednesday to wear the color purple
in support of tickets
the words as you might imagine a pretty rough to take
seriously he wrote they want to wear purple because five queers committed
suicide
the only way i'm wearing it for them is if they all commit suicide
i can't believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid
he went on to say in what she sees his spelling not ours
we're all in the fact that they c_n_n_ killed their cells because of their sent
really people
some who read is posting challenge him on the page the page and he responded
them with this it pisses me off though that we make special purple fag day for
them i'd like that fags can't procreate also enjoyed the day off and give each
other aids and die
then he wrote
i would just on my kids they were gay they will not be welcome in my home or
in by the senate i watch absolutely run them off
course my kids will know better
my kids will have solid christian beliefs
c it infects everyone
so those were the words that set off a storm among parents of kids have been
bullied among parents who've lost children gay and lesbian groups and
everywhere from face book to arkansas the school board condemn what clint
mccance said but refused to call him to quit
is an elected official under local laws can be removed for absenteeism but
apparently not for this state officials in arkansas also issued a condemnation
but they too did not ask him to resign
then today this from federal education secretary or a junket
i kalyan house stocks
monday night and final statements mandell who looked into it this is an
elected positions not appointed positions but the question for
misunderstands request for the community suitable today the position of
educational leadership and that we have to question do you think is the question
his suitability took well if it if the statements that show that he said and up
but from everything out here they are choked
probably is no business being as efficiently there
armageddon that school district would readily candice dot bullying to stop a
respite to make sure that all of our children to grow up free of fear and to
have been told that did educational fish ill stallion off that kind of updated
is our have simply on the matter with me and said and i don't think you some of
that decision
that was earlier today late today
we heard from amending steven blackwood he's a suicide prevention counselor in
little rock
his son alex took his own life he was in gay but in he wasn't bullied by the loss
of course was no different alex which is nineteen years old moved by his own
tragedy wounded would by what mister mccann setting concerned about the
effects of his words and other at-risk kids stephen got in his car to go see
clint the camps assault took place today
mister cancer reach out to us a short time ago he said he wanted to talk
by interviewed him and steven blackwood just moments ago
you've earned some really terrible things you called gay kids who kill
themselves for the bullying fags inquiries you wrote that you like to see
gay people died
do you and you really hate gay people that much do you like to see them dot
at a notional mentioned
radeon comments uh... denies realize
just how ignorant but where
av
the only american motorists a
i'll never supports assignment internal support bowling and pizza
posted them on their own further in my house
uh... that i did it you know for those for those kids that they felt so
hopeless
but this sounds like senator but as you know i mean in in the writing you sound
like a bully yourself and calling
using employees are taxable years
that's those are the words of both
was
you know like i said i use them
asia really you know
strong language that you know way and it was incorrect
in and it was
who still motion
i don't
you know i'm mad
i've got two children myself and i love them dearly
uh... i've got a lot followed merely adding you know i i don't agree with
morning in any shape form or fashion
agree with it for any children
and you know the words are you sure grand portion of men and their
you know i i should've big difference both it can't be taken back in and uh...
all i can do now is is uh...
extend my apologies for months
montfort before speech
what do you what do you feel like you're apologizing for
it was over the top
anderson it was uh...
i was going to forward united
i don't really believe anyone should commit suicide i i know i don't feel
that way
questions of some of the specifics of jamming
use those words like faggot queer city for those words you use a lot and you
think is acceptable to server
orgy understand the why those words might hurt
of the day here in your school district or orchid is
not gay but is being called those words
juror hike i completely agree with animal another hurtful words like i said
i am
you know how to take the wrong word she used
and in using poorly i didn't know
anne-marie owner to to what i was
so i was about
do you
obviously you've you've
you thought
uh... about
you know the words in the u clearly reread this now
but would you have any idea of the pain that that you may have caused much of
the families and friends of kids who kill themselves but
the pain and fear you've caused two kids maybe even your own school district
who are being bullied or who are gay or who don't feel safe telling anyone that
they're getting
you know initial mentions essay
of what if i don't know
uh... i know it was a
like i said before i know my statements
we're too harsh
i don't
elaborate
with with the language i used to she was uh... out of control you know what it
does look like downs
no hate monger alamo herbal person and that's uh... that's not me at all
because you did say you like it when gay people get a's and dot
and that was really you know uh... annisten once again and that was in
response to uh...
to some comments are made and like i said diet
you know i
i'm going to al used the wrong language
fastest record-setting wish our new ways to get on anyone
because i was going to ask do you want the people that are
no
no one else
there are some we're going to see this and say okay look you're saying you're
sorry but are you just sorry that you've got caught
and if no one has said anything about this facebook post
you know would you have reread it today and said guys you know this was horrible
anderson before the severed b_i_ two words and i looked at it and i'm just a
concern
you know something eles i've gotten home
some posts on there
you know after i like to take a
but look at myself and uh...
you know i'm big enough and admit when i when i say something earlier more no
rock
added this time you know i have made some some pretty bad statements and
uh...
and i'm too shrill
whatever that we talked about and before we do this in a rear talked on the phone
and
when things you said to me is
this is not who i am would you mean by that
well uh... anderson you know like i said i'm a father myself
and uh...
all of my children with all that player martha there everything to me and
and i'm really you know
i give everyone a chance in and and try to live every
you know i lost my own
oc presumably ceo i still love everyone you know people is in this are going to
say
that's hard to believe given
that the kind of
stuff you set i'm in
watched some believe right
well i'm sure everyone at some point you are finished
made a statement hateful
thought it would be that they would take back it like it that you know people
made mistakes all the time with their speech in indiana
i'm sure a lot
lots of people don't know if not everyone
uh... from a local reporters that proceeded to talk to you briefly today
or yesterday you you told him that has been blown out of proportion
do you do you still think that has been blown out of proportion
not spoken to me
reporters you're the
you're the first
news media than usual
just like his dad out of proportion
uh... trimming it has what i'm getting the
in a thousand of phone calls hate mail people are threatening to kill my family
many
hams and my wife and kids out of state for their safety
uh...
installed security system she asked that i think it should instead
that in that it has gotten out of control
some of the no clearly you know the response to this isn't just
because you said these
urges because of who you are in your
the vice president a school board meeting you oversee
terra
kids in your school district and i i think that's
clearly what's at the core of the reaction to this
digication officials in your state at all levels has to have condemn what you
said is that it doesn't reflect their values and what they're trying to do in
the schools they said they can fire you
but you can resign are you going to resign from school board
but
i am going to resign from the school board
is to uh... to help my community
to help my school
i don't want them to
received bad press or have a distraction because of some
uh... if your income instead of the island
alum
if they decide what you're
you know
here five years
seniors from animal midnight and it's my constituents want that
the long run again
clearview dumb
intention what happens you obviously over the last twenty-four forty-eight
hours alan you've met a guy
who came to to see you today who's actually with you tonight during this
interview
whose who lost his son to suicide was invalid not his son was in day
on this i was nineteen and
um... steven
why did you
seek out clipper how did you hear about this
how do i feel about a special commando how did how did you hear about it and
how why did you seek cleared out
baghdad man on the board with the american family should set aside for
mission here in arkansas
and uh...
and feel bad because for the national office uses of prevention under a lot of
work
to raise awareness of suicide and win my attention was brought to the face book
post and i read it but i thought
this guy cannot mean what he's saying
surely
he doesn't mean this
and i'd die
i had to find it
i'd buy it i thought either we have somebody who needs help
or he has said something that he needs to retract because he has no idea the
type of damage that he could be due into people that may be contemplating suicide
are struggling with emotions are depression
suggests that it would be okay for them to go ahead and in their lives so-called
simply when students showed up anti-business true drove tracked you
down when he showed up
would you think in and and
you clearly started talking to on what how did that
that impacted
but it's a set of phenomenal impact on the you know
all this has been done immigrants to the fact of the suicide i had no idea is as
i'm sure most people don't
how big an issue that suicide is in this country
uh... huh
high command stevens
birmingham been such a big man to do that and i think that's uh...
speaks volumes for each character to come and find me
an offer
you know i'm going to tell me about suicide in and and and the danger zone
in hand
henderson here with me tonight
that uh... you know after his son's passed away with the comments on mine
pat
i think sixty themselves something there
that everyone else was skipped over i think he can
nominees
somehow could tell i was in wasn't amount rather than men down to me
clint you also said in that case for posting about your own kids and you said
mike wrote i would assume my kids they were gay
they will not be welcome my home remind us in a largely run them off of course
my kids will know better make it also appreciably c_n_n_ thanks everyone
is that something you really believe that if
that something also a lot of people commented on that if you could feel when
your kids
felt they were gay that they do around the mall
nowhere animal model of the year
uh...
you know that the time will tell