Who Is the Public School Employee Allegedly Calling for All Gay People to Die and Hoping Pride Is Hit by Terrorists?

Said He Hoped Pride ‘Turns Out Like the Boston Marathon’

A Columbus Public Schools employee who posted to Facebook a message of hate so horrific that police contacted Homeland Security has been identified.

“I hope this event turns out like the Boston Marathon a few year’s [sic] back,” a post from the Facebook account of Chris Dodds reads. “All fags should be killed or at least relocated,” it also states. Local news media had not released Dodds’ name until The Columbus Dispatch did late Friday afternoon. 

A Change.org petition calling for Dodds to be fired includes what appears to be a screenshot of his Facebook remarks, posted to Columbus Pride Parade and Festival 2017. The WCMH news video above offers more details, as does NCRM’s report.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the “man who posted hateful comments about Saturday’s Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and Parade” is 48-year old Chris Dodds, “a garage assistant supervisor who has worked for the district since 2004.”

Dodds “likely will lose his job with Columbus City Schools,” the Dispatch reports. Columbus City Schools has a policy on free speech that Dodds may have violated.

But is what Dodds wrote illegal or prosecutable?

Columbus defense attorney Samuel Shamansky, the Dispatch reports, “said Dodds’ post just falls short of meeting the standard for aggravated menacing under Ohio law.”

Meanwhile, Columbus City Schools has issued a statement denouncing Dodds’ post and reaffirming its support for equality.

“Columbus City Schools values and celebrates its diversity. Please know that we are working with authorities to address this matter and his actions. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” the CCS said on Facebook. “Our District will be participating in the Pride Parade Saturday with more than 400 teachers, staff, students, families, friends and allies. We hope to see you there as well.”

500,000 people are expected at this weekend’s Pride events. 

Columbus City Schools appears to not only be paying lip service to equality. On the district’s homepage and on Facebook it is promoting this weekend’s Pride, urging supporters to “Walk the PRIDE Parade with CCS!”

“Join CCS teachers, staff, students, community partners, and more. Everyone is welcome to march with us!”

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Image: Screenshot via WCMH