Richmond County commissioner called out for comment; protest planned

ROCKINGHAM — Commissioner Andy Grooms was chastised at the county board’s June 4 meeting for a social media comment made a month prior.

On May 5, Grooms shared a screenshot of a post from Richmond Senior High School teacher social studies teacher announcing Elijah Crumpton as prom king and Keyoni Nichols as queen.

In the photo, Crumpton was clad in a red dress, with Richmond Community College’s downtown Rockingham campus in the background.

Grooms’ three-word commentary: “This is sick.”

The post drew comments both agreeing with Grooms and criticizing him for remarks against a student.

The student fired back with a post, addressing Grooms, saying:

“…I’ve dealt with individuals like you my entire life, and you guys will never upset me as I know exactly who I am and am at ease in my black skin; I strut and walk with my head held high. But it’s very SICK that you are commenting on me at this age. You should know that if you have nothing pleasant to say, don’t say anything at all. How are you running for county commissioner with this twisted mindset?”

Grooms told the RO that he was commenting on the situation, not the individual.

No one spoke on the matter at the May meeting of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners because Grooms’ comment was made after the deadline to sign up for the public comment period, which is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to the meeting.

However, someone in the audience did re-emphasize “for all” following the recitation of the pledge of allegiance.

By the time the June meeting rolled around, there were several who spoke — including two of Crumpton’s family members.

Chairman Jeff Smart highlighted the comment policy, saying that the total time allotted was 30 minutes for all speakers, limiting each speaker to around three minutes.

Grooms sat stoic as he listened to the complaints.

The first to take the podium on the matter was Jennifer Crumpton, mother of the student in question.

“As a parent, your only hope for your children is to watch them grow, thrive, to be happy and to be the best versions of themselves,” Jennifer Crumpton said. “You don’t get to pick or choose character traits or looks when you have children. You have a child that God blesses you with, the child God created specifically for you.”

Jennifer Crumpton said her son is caring, considerate, compassionate, “and brings sunshine into the darkest rooms.”

It is the job of the community, Jennifer Crumpton said, to “foster an environment of respect and support,” especially towards the younger generation.

“The comments made were not only hateful, but also goes against the values of inclusivity and kindness that we stand for,” Jennifer Crumpton continued.

The mother urged the board to “reaffirm our commitment to respectful discourse and to consider the impact of our words on the wellbeing of our youth.”

“It is crucial that you, as leaders, set an example of positive and constructive communication for all citizens in this community.”

The next speaker was Taryn Masterson, a Richmond County native now living in Durham.

“I stand before you as a proud queer person and lifelong member of this community,” Masterson said. “I’m here today to express my sincere disappointment and anger at the behavior of this board, particularly regarding the behavior of Commissioner Andy Grooms and the deafening silence from the rest of you regarding his actions.”

Masterson said Grooms’ post incited “a dog pile of online hate” and “targeted a young member of our community who simply dared to express himself.”

The behavior from an elected official, Masterson continued, was “not only unprofessional but also wildly harmful.”

“It sends a very clear message that bullying and discrimination are acceptable, even encouraged, in this county,” Masterson said.

Masterson also noted that Grooms was charged with multiple felonies when he was 17, and alluded to an incident earlier this year involving Commissioner Robin Roberts (and Commissioner Toni Maples) — the latter comment causing Smart to ask her to make her point.

(Note: The public appearance policy prohibits comments “which are harmful, discriminatory or embarrassing to any citizen(s), official(s) or employees of Richmond County…”)

“Your actions and inactions speak volumes about the values you uphold,” Masterson continued, addressing the entire board. “When an adult in a position of power publicly condemns a teenager for their choice of attire, it’s not just a personal attack, it’s an attack on every young person in our community who’s struggling to find their place in this world.”

Masterson told the commissioners that their “silence is complicity.”

“By not speaking out against this behavior, you’re endorsing it,” Masterson said. “You’re telling our community that it’s okay to demean and degrade those who are different. You’re telling our queer youth that they do not matter, that they are not safe, that they are not welcome here.

“Shaming … does not change who we are, it just destroys people — people you probably know and think that you love,” Masterson continued, her voice cracking slightly. “In some cases, it kills them. This isn’t hyperbole, this is the reality of the damage caused by bigotry and intolerance, the likes of which you’ve displayed.”

Masterson said the children deserve better role models and the community needs leaders who will “stand up against hate and bigotry,” and a board that will lead with “compassion, understanding and respect for all of its community members.”

Masterson, in closing, asked for a public apology to Elijah Crumpton, who was in the audience, “and to the entire queer community of Richmond County.”

“Denounce this behavior and take a stand against discrimination in all its forms,” Masterson concluded. “It’s time for Richmond County to show we are a community that values diversity, that supports our youth, and that will not tolerate hate.”

Deborah Crumpton, Elijah’s grandmother, also stepped up to the podium to address the issue involving her grandson.

“We as adults, have to be there for our children, in any case — good and bad, sickness and in health — we have to be the backbone … no matter what,” the grandmother said. “This world is changing and we have to change with it.

“To be an official and to say something like that was wrong,” Deborah Crumpton continued. “My grandson is a very special, wonderful, entertaining, smart, and has no hate in his heart for no one. He was picked by his peers, so that should tell you something about him.”

Jerry Tilley was the fifth and final speaker on the topic.

Tilley said that “one would hope” that Grooms was using the word “sick” in “its good context, but that was simply not the case.”

“Their comment section began to fill with the sort of vile, hateful and homophobic vitriol that one would expect from a small town in the South,” Tilley said. “But at the same time, a growing number of voices rallied together to combat that hate and to shine a light on it — to force it out of the darkness.”

Tilley continued, saying many on the internet “get very brave behind the sharp clicks of their keyboards, but lack the courage of their convictions when the harsh light of reality sets in.”

“So while there should never be a forum where an elected official is permitted to get away with such blatant disrespect of one of their own constituents without any repercussions, this community came to the aid of one of its own in a force for good and for right,” Tilley said.

Tilley said there is a “growing need” for inclusivity in the county.

Noting the June was Pride Month, Tilley said he had noticed that here had been no local effort to host a parade or any other event “to let our brothers and sisters in the LGBQTIA+ community know that not only are they a welcome part of our county, they’re a vital one, as well.”

Tilley also noted that there were multiple proclamations at the May meeting for holidays that are already celebrated.

“We can certainly organize these events without you, but we’d rather do it with you,” Tilley said.

Tilley also mentioned a young lady who is gay and told him she had to leave the county because she was shunned by her family and had no one to turn to “for comfort or support … because that’s the mentality was, and still is, present in this county — and it’s been allowed to be that way for far, far too long.”

“Rockingham, the jewel in the crown of our county, bills itself as ‘A City Looking Forward.’ Forward to what, I wonder?” Tilley asked. “With views like those being shared by elected officials here in this county, it’s forward to the past. And regardless of any beliefs you hold, that’s not how any of us should want things to be.”

In closing, Tilley encouraged the county to adopt a social media policy for elected officials, “in order to avoid any future embarrassing blunders.”

No member of the board addressed the concerns and, per the public appearance policy, they do not have to.

Since the meeting, Masterson has twice sent emails to the board and said that, as of June 20, she has yet to receive any response.

A march and sit-in “for Equality and Accountability in Richmond County“ has been planned for 3 p.m. July 2 at the Richmond County Judicial Center, where the commissioner meetings are held.

“This event aims to demand accountability and support for all marginalized communities,” Masterson said in a press release. “We stand in solidarity with Elijah and the entire LGBTQ+ community in Richmond County.”

Masterson said the demands of the group — “ a coalition of community members and allies advocating for the rights and dignity of all marginalized groups in Richmond County” — include “an apology to Elijah and the queer community, and a commitment to better actions from our leaders.”

“Recent acts of bigotry and the silence from our elected officials are unacceptable,” Masterson said. “We march for respect, equality, and action.”

Note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of a name. 9:46 p.m. 6-2-24.