Suburban School Official Resigns After Calling Women's Marchers 'Vagina Screechers'

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 23, 2017 8:36PM

Photo: Tyler LaRiviere

From the department of “think before you Tweet” and, more to the heart, ”don’t act like an abhorrent asshat,” a northwest suburban school board member and licensed psychologist (!) resigned after Tweeting that the women who rallied at Saturday’s 250K-strong Women’s March on Chicago were “vagina screechers” that mostly didn’t vote.

On his since-deleted account, Dathan Paterno, formerly of the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64, Tweeted on Sunday morning, “Most of these vagina screechers didn’t vote, but they mean business. Riiiiiiiight. What a farce.”

Via Tribune

It’s worth pointing out that not only is that of course a repulsively sexist troll job, the sentiment isn’t remotely true: Hillary Clinton performed historically well in suburban Cook County, according to figures from the Cook County Clerk’s Office. And since this writer detected a rather strong anti-Trump sentiment among those in attendance at Saturday’s rally, it’s probably safe to say many of those in attendance were part of that historic Democratic turnout.

Paterno—who also spouted off lovely missives such as “Shuck ‘em in the…oh, never mind” and “PROUD TO HAVE A VAGINA = penis envy something fierce”—didn’t sound particularly remorseful in his non-apology letter of resignation. “In retrospect, they were inappropriate and pushed too far in some ways,” wrote Paterno, in his Monday letter to the board of education president. “While I merely meant to harshly criticize some of the protesters [especially the very angry, hostile, vulgar and violent ones] and question the motives of some of them, my tweets were understandably misinterpreted to mean that I disrespect or hate all the protesters. Of course, this isn’t true, but the damage was done.”

The board said it will immediately begin looking to replace Paterno. Board of Eduction President Anthony Borrelli apologized for the “controversy and distraction to the Board and District 64 that my comments have inadvertently created,” in his own letter posted on the district’s website.