NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) — A North Smithfield School Committee candidate has resigned from a statewide Republican group after making a controversial comment about the son of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.

Evan Masse’s since-deleted comment was written Thursday under a post containing a picture of Walz’s 17-year-old son, Gus, crying while watching his father’s Democratic National Convention speech. Gus Walz has a nonverbal learning disorder .

“He got them brain worms,” Masse wrote on X.

The reply was shared by multiple people on social media who weren’t happy with Masse’s remark.

“I strongly recommend local friends do their research and be sure you really know the person you are voting for this November,” Nicole Lavoie, who chairs the town’s Special Education Local Advisory Committee, said on Facebook about Masse’s comment. “The last thing this town needs is a person like this involved in anything having to do with our children.”

Paul Jones, a former North Smithfield School Committee member, called the comment “disqualifying.”

“To attack a neurodivergent child because – why? He’s showing emotion? He’s proud of his dad? – shows the level of empathy Evan will have for your children,” Jones added.

Masse didn’t respond to requests for comment about the reply or if he’ll stay in the race for School Committee. He has deleted all of his social media pages.

Masse had been serving as secretary of the Rhode Island Young Republicans, but resigned from the position on Friday after his tweet attracted attention.

“It’s unfortunate what he said last night, but it doesn’t reflect what we stand for and our values, but again I want to reiterate that he has resigned,” Ken Naylor, chairman of the RI Young Republicans, told 12 News. “He did this on his own and he wanted to resign.”

Masse is currently vice chair for the North Smithfield Republican Town Committee.

Brad Trenchard, chair of the North Smithfield GOP, said on Monday that Masse’s comment “was in ill-favor, it shouldn’t have been made, it was against his better judgement” and “it shines a poor light on the committee as a whole because he is the vice chair of the committee.”

“I do not condone hate speech, negative speech, anything that’s shining a light on negativity — none of that,” Trenchard added. “And if I’m speaking for the committee, I believe we share that same sentiment, Evan included.”

Trenchard said he hasn’t spoken to Masse yet, but referenced an apology the vice chair posted on a North Smithfield Facebook group page and shared a screenshot of it to 12 News.

“I want to apologize greatly for an X tweet that circulated last night,” Masse’s wrote. “The tweet was highly inappropriate and was posted before knowledge of the individual’s circumstances.”

“I try to pride myself on the principles of being respectful, kind, honest, and considerate,” Masse continued. “I understand that my actions fell short of these standards, and I deeply regret any hurt or confusion that may have resulted from the tweet.”

As for if Masse will remain vice chair, Trenchard said he’ll stay in the position “if he decides to remain there.”

“I’m not going to remove him, I’m not going to tell him he’s not welcome,” Trenchard said. “I’m not going to further the divide — I’m not. I’m going to acknowledge the fact that he made a mistake, he said something he shouldn’t have said.”

Trenchard added if Masse “doesn’t learn from that” and says “something hateful again,” then “yeah, it’s a conversation to be had because he clearly didn’t learn from the mistake.”

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