Alabama GOP chair apologizes for posting KKK imagery on Facebook: ‘Not done with any malicious or harmful intent’

The leader of a local GOP group in northern Alabama has apologized for posting a Ku Klux Klan image on Facebook, saying that the image was shared by “mistake” and that he has no plans of stepping down.

Earlier this week, the Lawrence County Republican Party shared a message on the group’s official Facebook page announcing the new county chairman, Shanon Terry.

The image, which had originally appeared in a 2020 Mother Jones article entitled “The Republican Party is Racist and Soulless,” showed the Republican National Committee’s traditional elephant logo with three hooded Klansmen figures between the elephant’s legs.

The image quickly sparked outrage on social media, and it was replaced later that night.

Terry, who’s also a school board member, said he took “full responsibility for the error,” and the group issued an apology on Monday afternoon.

As calls for his resignation grew, on Thursday Terry said that he “will not be resigning from my elected office on the Lawrence County School Board.”

“I regret the mistake that was made, and it was just that — an unintended mistake,” Terry said in a statement according to local television station WAFF-TV.

“The image posted by me on a political Facebook page was not done with any malicious or harmful intent. Once made aware of the negative portion of the picture I immediately replaced it and followed up with an apology/explanation the next day. My error was rushing to post a thank you note to the outgoing chairperson, in doing so I did not properly review a cut and paste image used in that post from an internet search for a ‘GOP elephant.’ I do not support or agree with any hate group agenda and certainly would not try to further their cause,” the statement read in part.

On Friday, the local NAACP chapter held a press conference renewing calls for his resignation, saying that the credibility of the county school board “has been tainted” and that “we do not want you to govern over our children.”

“When I first saw the post, it was [a] shock — I trembled,” Lawrence County NAACP President J.E. Turnbore, told WHNT-TV.

“At a time like this, we are in an election year … Racial tension is somewhat high, and this comes out? It just blew my mind. it just shook me to the point where I’m thinking this had to be intentional,” he added.