TX School Official Resigns After Racist FB Post

A white Texas school official, who made a racist social media post about Houston Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson, is out of a job.

Onalaska Independent School District Superintendent Lynn Redden has resigned according to reports. In a letter to the school board, Redden says his post where he wrote, “you can’t trust a black quarterback” shortly after the Texans lost to the Tennessee Titans, 20-17 on Sunday, was “wrong and inappropriate.”

Redden made the racist comment on the Houston Chronicle’s Facebook page. Earlier in the week, Redden said the post was meant to be a private message and that he regretted sending it. He also tried to justify the comment by telling the Chronicle, “over the history of the NFL, (black quarterbacks) have had limited success.”

Watson’s teammates and coaches came to the quarterback’s defense. Head Coach Bill O’Brien called Redden’s comment “idiotic.” Watson said he’s dealt with racism for most of his life but declined to respond to Redden directly. It was a move Redden seemed to appreciate in his resignation letter. He praised Watson for choosing “peace and positivity,” instead of criticizing him.

Redden was responsible for more than a thousand Texas students in his former post. According to the Texas Tribune’s school database, less than one percent of those students are black.