Wake schools candidate condemns name calling, personal attacks
Wake County school board member Keith Sutton accused the Republican board majority and their tea party supporters Tuesday of "name calling, attacks and division" after a disparaging flier circulated at the last board meeting and was posted to Democratic candidates' Facebook pages on Monday.
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The flier shows photos of National NAACP President Ben Jealous and state NAACP leader William Barber, including a photo of Barber being arrested by Raleigh police for protesting the end of the district's long-standing policy of busing for socioeconomic diversity policy last year.
Under the heading "INDOCTRINATION," the flier calls Democratic school board candidates Sutton, Susan Evans, Kevin Hill, Christine Kushner and Jim Martin "liberal allies" of Jealous and Barber, and accuses them of supporting forced busing, social engineering and quota systems in student assignment.
"We must vote to keep these five radicals away from our children," the flier states.
Sutton said the poster crosses the line and he is disappointed that people are "throwing mud" ahead of the Oct. 11 election.
"I would hope that both members of the board majority and our opponents would denounce such tactics being used," Sutton said.
In a statement, he added, "It's time to put those tactics behind us and focus on what is best for our children, our schools and Wake County's future."
He said the person who posted the flier to his Facebook went by the name Rino Hunter, a term used by tea party activists to accuse Republican candidates of being RINOs – Republicans In Name Only.
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