Steve Lynch, an aspiring Republican politician in Pennsylvania, used a rally on Sunday to threaten to physically oust a school board as part of an anti-mask and anti-vaccine rant.
Lynch, who is a nominee in the upcoming Northampton county executive election, told his supporters: “I’m going in with 20 strong men. I’m going to speak to the school board and I’m going to give them an option. They can leave or they can be removed. And then after that, we’re going to replace them with nine parents and we’re going to vote down the mask mandates that evening.”
PA GOP Gov candidate Steve Lynch today: “Forget going into these school boards with freaking data. You go in to these school boards to remove them. I’m going in with 20 strong men and I’m gonna give them an option - they can leave or they can be removed.” pic.twitter.com/A0M6SsOldI
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 30, 2021
During the rant he also yelled: “men where are you?” and “make men great again” to a round of applause while also claiming there was no scientific evidence of Covid-19.
Lynch, who according to the Daily Beast claims to have been contacted by the FBI after he attended the Trump rally that preceded the 6th January US capitol riot, has been running heavily on an anti-Covid restrictions mandate and specifically against masks in schools.
Despite the state’s two teacher unions echoing the requests of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for everyone to continue wearing masks in schools, Lynch has spent much of the last week on Facebook claiming that he is “coming for the Northampton School Board” who he has branded “wannabe tyrants.”
Incidentally, Lynch owns Keystone Alternative Medicine and Weight Loss, which provides customers with ‘testosterone and hormone replacement therapy’ alongside weight loss and anti-ageing treaments.
Footage from his speech on Sunday has since been shared on Twitter with many comparing it to thuggery and like something from a dystopian novel such as The Handmaid’s Tale.
Remember how The Handmaids Tale started? https://t.co/K9gmkZidG1
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) August 30, 2021
This guy says he will die before he allows his kids to wear masks. He threatens violence against school boards.
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 30, 2021
Hey, where are the #economicanxiety folks? https://t.co/t7bHNsPqtJ
There are a lot of clips like this recently and there's a similar logic in all the speeches: The school boards aren't doing what the angry people want, and therefore what the school boards are doing is illegal and can be removed by mobs. https://t.co/DpFdjQbPrk
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 30, 2021
And make sure their shirts are brown. There is absolutely no bottom to what remains of the Republican party. None. https://t.co/jdKOISISkU
— David Simon (@AoDespair) August 30, 2021
Cases of Covid-19 have been rapidly increasing in Pennsylvania with around 90 new cases a day. Two weeks ago the start reported 135 new cases, the highest number since April.
Rich Askey, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said earlier this month: “Masking up is essential to keeping in-person learning going all year. If we’re going to be able to keep our schools open for in-person instruction all year, we need to make the right decisions now.”
Covid restrictions in schools have proven to be a volatile and divisive topic in the United States with some Republican governors such as Ron DeSantis in Florida and Greg Abbott in Texas, using their powers to overturn any measures that force students to wear masks.
Lynch’s opponent in the election, Lamont McClure is said to have reported his comments to the police.
