Norwin director ripped over controversial posts; some call for resignation

A Norwin School Board director was roundly criticized amid residents’ calls for his resignation for his posts on a private Facebook account. They included messages such as “Gold Star of David coming to the mask wearers,” Democrats are not Christians and the nation should be plunged into war if President Trump is not re-elected.

Robert Wayman, 67, of Irwin, who retired as a Norwin teacher in January 2019, posted his beliefs on a politically conservative Facebook account, Silent Majority 15642, which is Irwin’s ZIP code. Wayman’s photo was attached to the posts on the Facebook account. “Silent Majority” is a phrase President Richard Nixon coined in 1969 to describe Americans who supported his policies of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Wayman, who in November was elected to a four-year term on the school board, was speaking on his own behalf as a private citizen and his views are not those of the board, President Brian S. Carlton said last week during a public school board meeting.

“The board renounces those views, and the opinions expressed privately were not in any fashion taken into account by the district” as it prepared plans for students to return to school Aug. 31, Carlton said.

Wayman declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune-Review. He also offered no response to critics during the July 30 board meeting. Wayman is a former Irwin Council president who was appointed mayor in 2015, serving several months.

Wayman, a Republican, posted on the Facebook site that armed conflict should occur if Trump does not get re-elected. He said Trump deserves eight more years in office because the Democrats and “fake” news media stole his first term.

Kristen Falk criticized Wayman for writing, “Keep driving. These are racist communist thugs” below a photo of Black Lives Matters protesters blocking a car on Route 51 in Baldwin.

Falk pointed out a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest, organized by Norwin students, was held in Irwin Park this summer.

“I feel that (Wayman’s post) was a direct assault on our students. He is not representing us well,” Falk said.

Wayman also posted criticism of Gov. Tom Wolf for requiring people to wear face masks in an effort to prevent the spread of covid-19, calling him a Marxist.

In one post, Wayman stated the “Gold Star of David coming to the mask wearers sooner than they realize.”

Jews in a large swath of Europe that was conquered by Nazi Germany during World War II were forced to wear a yellow Star of David as a way of identifying and humiliating them. The yellow star also served to identify them for deportation to Nazi concentration camps, where 6 million Jews were murdered during the war.

A petition presented to the board was signed by 274 people objecting to Wayman’s statements. They believe the posts “call his fitness to serve in this role in serious doubt.”

Carrie Gagliano questioned whether Wayman showed any remorse.

Several residents on the virtual Zoom meeting called for Wayman to resign. Russell Lucas, the district’s solicitor, said state law does not provide any mechanism for the board to remove Wayman for his political beliefs. A board can only remove a fellow director for failing to attend meetings, not for political statements or exercising his First Amendment rights, Lucas said.

The board has discussed developing an ethics policy, Carlton said, but Lucas pointed out the school district has “a limited range of options available.”

Neither Carlton nor other board members who commented on Wayman’s posts mentioned him by name.

“I chose not to specifically name Mr. Wayman because it was already widely known who the letter concerned and who made the posts,” Carlton said.

Board members Don Rhodes and Tony Corsa, both Democrats, emphasized that Wayman’s political views do not reflect their views.

Director William Essay, also a Democrat, said he “does not condone his (Wayman’s) derogatory and discriminating views.”