The Jefferson Parish School says it is asking a recently-appointed member to resign. The board's decision regarding Rafael Rafidi comes just two days after confirming him.
On January 5, the board approved Rafidi to take the District 6 seat vacated by the resignation of Larry Dale. Rafidi was the only person who expressed an interest in the position.
"He presented himself as a family man of strong faith with a commitment to education," the board said in a statement. "All of these attributes led us to believe in Mr. Rafidi’s commitment to diversity and ability to represent our diverse school system."
However, social media posts attributed to Rafidi became public -- posts that disparaged teachers, profanely described various local politicians, and placed him at the "Stop the Steal Rally" on January 6, 2021 that turned into a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate published screen captures of the now-deleted posts.
One post called Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy a "piece of s***" after Cassidy voted to convict former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. Another post, years earlier, said teacher "are the fall of young people in this country. No values, no work ethic, and just suck as much as you can from those that work hard."
"The non-civil tone, profane language and generalized condemnation of opposing ideological groups is indefensible and inconsistent with the Board’s objective of unity and mutual respect. We specifically take exception to his post demeaning teachers," the board state. "We strongly believe that the lingering effect of Mr. Rafidi’s provocative positions will render him ineffective as a District representative and School Board member, and we have asked Mr. Rafidi to resign."
