Teacher union leaders are thugs, North Carolina representative posts

RALEIGH — N.C. Rep Mark Brody, R-Anson, Union, said teachers who are protesting in Raleigh on Wednesday for higher pay and funding for schools are hypocrites; in a Facebook post, called them “teacher union thugs.”

Brody said he chose his words carefully when he wrote the post, which was about Union County teachers.

He said anyone who is upset is reading something into it that's not there.

“It is very clear. I support the message, but I do not support the method,” Brody said.

He said it's fine if teachers want to protest, but it's the wrong time because it’s in the middle of the school week, which is an inconvenience to parents and is not helpful to students because it means one less day of instruction in school.

The part in the post where he refers to “teacher union thugs” has caused a lot of controversy.

“The leaders are the ones that I refer to as union, teacher union thugs,” Brody said. “They are the ones who are pushing the agenda and those are the ones that are pressing the buttons and saying, ‘This is what we demand.’”

He said that line is only about those at the top and not the rank and file.

Brody said that the real surplus to pay educators is being wasted on the administrative staff at local school district offices and at the state Department of Education.

“A lot of these are top heavy, unnecessary positions that could be used to help support teachers,” Brody said.

Brody said he supports teachers getting pay raises.

There are about 15,000 people expected to protest in the state capital.

Classes canceled in Channel 9’s viewing area on May 16: