Protesters call for Grand Ledge superintendent to resign

Craig Lyons
Lansing State Journal
A group protests Monday, June 1, 2020, outside the Grand Ledge Community Schools administration building.  They are rallying about Facebook comments Superintendent Brian Metcalf made about George Floyd.

GRAND LEDGE – Some community members are calling on the school district’s superintendent to resign after comments he made on social media about the death of George Floyd.

Roughly 40 people protested outside of Grand Ledge Public Schools’ administrative building Monday afternoon seeking Superintendent Brian Metcalf’s resignation.

The action followed comments Metcalf made on Facebook on Sunday about protests that have followed Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, which Metcalf said were taken out of context.

Grand Ledge school official faces backlash over George Floyd comments

“In this day and age, you cannot be in this kind of a position with those kinds of thoughts,” Shawn Gatica said. Metcalf was blaming the victim and made inaccurate statements, she said.

“His comments were unprofessional,” she said.

A group protests Monday, June 1, 2020, outside the Grand Ledge Community Schools administration building.  They are rallying about Facebook comments Superintendent Brian Metcalf made about George Floyd.

Incoming Grand Ledge senior Zoe Wolf said the superintendent and administrators should not speak about sensitive subjects insensitively.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying,” Wolf said. “What he said was bullying.”

Just because someone is in power doesn’t mean they can something wrong, Wolf said.

A screenshot of comments made May 31, 2020 on Facebook by Grand Ledge Public Schools Superintendent Brian Metcalf in the wake of George Floyd's death.

A screenshot of Metcalf’s comments was shared throughout the community over the weekend:

"Burning, breaking windows, and looting is also an injustice -- what happened to Floyd was wrong! A criminal response is also wrong. Any statement otherwise, condones and perpetuates both criminal acts!!"

In an additional response on the post he wrote, "...it all starts with being a law abiding citizen - had he not paid with counterfeit money, had he not resisted, had he not been under the influence -- then there would be no contact with officers; that does not excuse the officer; it just eliminates the conflict to begin with!! It starts with being a good citizen!"

Metcalf Monday morning emailed a statement to Grand Ledge parents and Grand Ledge High School students, saying that "mischaracterizations of the full conversation" on Facebook were made from "a lone screenshot," of his comments.

The Grand Ledge school board trustee said the board plans to create an opportunity for the community and Metcalf to discuss the comments. 

"Brian Metcalf needs to be fired," Grand Ledge alumnus Kitt Sharp, 22, said Monday, June 1, 2020.  The recent CMU graduate says his Facebook post comments about George Floyd show his lack of awareness about those of color.

“His statements are not a good representation of what our school district should be about,” Ariel Rogers said. “He needs to be held accountable for his words.”

Gatica remembers when she was in high school, students of color had to deal with racial slurs, but said that shouldn’t be happening today.

“It’s time to grow up,” she said.

Contact reporter Craig Lyons at 517-377-1047 or calyons@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @craigalyons.