A Richmond, Va. school board is calling for the resignation of one of its members after he emailed what some called racist and inappropriate messages to his colleagues about first lady Michelle Obama.
This all goes back to the Isle of Wight school board member Herb Degroft and an e-mail he sent containing naked women and a reference to First Lady Michelle Obama.
He forwarded two emails from his county email account. One had a picture with bare-breasted, African female warriors with the caption “Michelle Obama’s high school reunion.” Another e-mail claimed Mrs. Obama was paid $50 to model in National Geographic.
Some board members say they have been receiving similar e-mails from Degroft since January of 2012.
In retrospect, Degroft admits he made a mistake. He says the e-mails were meant to be political, not racist. When it comes to resigning from his position, he said he is not going anywhere. However, that’s up to voters to decide.
He wasn’t the only one who forwarded the e-mails. Isle of Wight Supervisor Byron Bailey did as well. The local NAACP and other community members are asking for both men to resign.
Degroft’s current term as school board member ends in November. Bailey’s term doesn’t end until 2015.
