Granbury ISD President Calls Place 7 Trustee Bob Swearingen's Facebook Post Appalling

Update 6/30: Bob Swearingen resigned after an emotionally-charged school board meeting in which several people from the community asked for Swearingen's resignation, saying they couldn't trust the board with him on it; and one person from the community threw a bag of rocks in Swearingen's defense.

Update 6/29: The GISD Board of Trustees scheduled a special meeting to accept Place 7 Board member Bob Swearingen's resignation for inappropriate conduct on social media, but Swearingen said he doesn't think he should resign.

"I have not resigned," Swearingen said in a text. "I have not done anything that merits that."

The board meeting is scheduled for 4pm on Tuesday, June 30th at the Administration building on 217 N. Jones St. and it is open to the public.

Original:

Granbury school board member Bob Swearingen’s Facebook post Tuesday, which joked about sexual misconduct by coaches, incited outrage within the community and demands for his resignation.

Swearingen, elected in November 2019 as Granbury School Board Trustee for Place 7, posted a status that said, “Don’t accept any friend requests from my evil twin,” then commented on that status: “Here’s my evil twin.” The post was accompanied by  a picture of a yoga instructor standing between two girls, one hand on each girl’s bottom and his fingers on their vaginas with the caption, “When your uncle says he’s a yoga instructor.”

The instructor pictured is Patthabi Jois, an Ashtanga yoga guru who is famous for systematically sexually abusing dozens of his students.

The post incited such backlash that Swearingen deleted it and posted an apology in its place trying to explain why he would post a picture of a teacher molesting his students.

The apology stated the post was a joke; Swearingen said his friend had sent the picture to him asking, “Is this your evil twin?” because the friend thought the man resembled Swearingen. Swearingen said he thought it was funny, so he posted it.

The apology brought on more criticism. Facebook users questioned why Swearingen would think a picture of sexual abuse is funny, while others told him his apology rang hollow. Swearingen has since made his Facebook page private, but a screenshot of the offensive post is still circulating around social media.

School Board President Mark Jackson said the board does not condone or approve the post, and they are still investigating the matter.

“What he posted was appalling,” Jackson said. “It was disgusting. We are in no way comfortable with it, and frankly (we are) disappointed in Mr. Swearingen.”

Jackson said the school board does not have any legal power to unseat a board member. Since Swearingen is an elected official, he answers to the voters of Granbury.

“Ultimately it’s the public who will have to decide who sits in the office by going to the polls,” Jackson said. “If they want to take action or demand his resignation they’re certainly able to do that.”

They have. Several members of the community including Chris Trackett, Micky Shearon, and Erica Gillum have posted on their own Facebook pages the statement, “Demand that GISD trustee Bob Swearingen resign!” along with the official email of every school board member and the superintendent.

Gillum said this incident wasn’t the first time Swearingen posted something inflammatory. She said she is taking a stand now in hopes of raising the bar for all elected officials’ conduct on social media.  

“The behavior he’s being condemned for isn’t out of character for him,” Gillum said. “Our elected officials should be held to a higher standard and frankly, he doesn’t meet that standard. “

Trustees serve three-year terms, so unless he resigns, Swearingen will serve on the school board until November 2022, at which point he will have the opportunity to run for re-election.

Law & Public Safety teacher for GISD Cari Davis Conwell said she was embarrassed by Swearingen’s actions.

“Parents entrust district employees and school board trustees with their children, and we are trusted with their safety as well as modeling appropriate behavior for them,” Conwell said. “It’s gross negligence to be a person in elected office and put something like that out there because now that diminishes that position as well.”

Swearingen denied request for comment saying, "I'm getting crucified enough already. Thanks though."

The next school board meeting open to the public is scheduled for Monday, July 20th at 6pm in the Granbury ISD administration building.