LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Fayette County Public Schools board member is under fire after posts on the social media platform X are labeled as "homophobic."
Fayette County school board member Amanda Ferguson received backlash after two of her posts from late May were brought to light by community members over the weekend.
The FCPS account on 'X' - formerly known as Twitter - posted a photo of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear alongside board chair Tyler Murphy and Fayette County Education Association president Jessica Hiler.
The photo shows Beshear being honored for his Distinguished Alumni Award. Under the FCPS post, a random account commented, "Who's the lesbian on the left?"
Initially, Ferguson replied to the post with a GIF of an exploding Furby interactive toy.
Ferguson claims she did not make the offensive comment and did not intend to reply to it. She later moved the post of the Furby GIF.
"In no way was it meant to spark hate of any particular group," says Ferguson.
One board member at the table says, "When I look at this, this is wrong. This is inappropriate. Why is our school board being represented this way?"
Education activist Nema Brewer, who Ferguson calls a friend, also responded to the FCPS post. Her post reads:
To which Ferguson says she reacted to it with a laughing emoji.
"I guess I deleted the laughing emoji and the Furby is now in the place of the laughing emoji," explains Ferguson.
Ferguson apologized multiple times throughout the meeting, stating that she never intended for people, especially students, to be harmed by her posts. "I never meant to hurt. Or make a student feel like I did not care about that student."
"The positions we hold are positions of public trust, and the words we say and the tone we set at the top of any organization matters and makes a difference," explains board member Tyler Murphy.
Murphy stresses that the board's responsibility is to model appropriate behavior.
It needs to have meaningful, positive conversations about the work they're doing and support kids in and out of the classroom.
"I hear you. We hear you. And we are committed. As a board, as a district to cultivate a community and an environment where everybody is heard, valued and respected, bottom line," says Murphy.
Ferguson is under revision but still holds her position on the board.
