A Souderton school board member says his lewd Kamala Harris comment was ‘unprofessional,’ but did not address calls for his resignation
In a message to the community, Bill Formica said his post that the vice president "blew a lot of dudes" was "directed at a national political figure, not any individual or group within our community."
Souderton school board member Bill Formica apologized to supporters and school leaders for posting on social media that Vice President Kamala Harris “blew a lot of dudes,” saying in a message to the community that he had been “impulsive and unprofessional.”
Formica’s apology, posted on the Souderton Area School District’s website Friday, marked the first time the board member has spoken publicly since his post on X ignited calls for his resignation at the end of July. He did not say he would step down from the position.
Nor did he directly address criticism that his comment — which was in response to another post that said, “Name ONE THING this chick has accomplished, politically?” — had been sexist or misogynistic.
Instead, Formica noted that his post “was directed at a national political figure, not any individual or group within our community.”
“However, I understand that my actions were misguided and inappropriate,” said Formica, who was appointed to an open seat on the board last year, then elected as part of a slate of Republican candidates in November. He apologized to “my supporters, those who voted for me, and everyone who entrusted me with this position.”
Formica, who said he would appear at a school board meeting Thursday, also apologized to fellow board members and administrators, saying he realized “this has created unnecessary challenges for you.”
The Souderton school board has been embroiled in controversy for weeks in the wake of Formica’s post, with a petition circulating demanding Formica’s resignation and a backlash on social media. The board abruptly ended a meeting earlier this month after angry parents demanded that it address Formica’s comment; officials said they would only discuss the curriculum committee’s agenda.
» READ MORE: Souderton school board members walked out of a meeting after facing demands to address vulgar Kamala Harris comment
On Friday, Formica — who said he was no longer using social media, after reflecting on its role “as a source of division and negativity” — said he was “dedicated to staying focused on our goals and addressing the needs of our community, rather than getting involved in an unproductive dispute.”
Critics said Formica’s message Friday was inadequate. “You’re not sorry for what you said,” Souderton Area for Responsible Leadership, a political action committee that backed Democratic school board candidates in November, said in a statement. “You’re sorry that you got called out for it.”
The group said that past social media comments by Formica have disparaged “women, minorities, immigrants, teachers, and the LGBTQ+ community.” In a post on LinkedIn previously shared by a Souderton resident with The Inquirer, Formica said, “I never saw a ‘straight’ parade. No one pushes heterosexuality. It’s just nature’s way.”
A mailer circulated by Souderton Area for Responsible Leadership before the election featured other posts by Formica, including a post on X that read, “My answer to diversity training would be ‘F off.’”
“We see you look down upon, and say hateful things about people who don’t look or think like you,” the group said, adding that “staying off social media does not solve that problem.”
It said Formica “should lead by example and resign.”