When Onalaska Independent School District superintendent Lynn Redden opened up Facebook, he thought he would be privately responding to a message. What happened was he publicly posted a thought which stated, “You can’t count on a black quarterback” when the game matters most. After backlash swirled for the last week, Redden has submitted his resignation as superintendent effective last Saturday night. In his resignation letter, the 42-year public education servant professed his apologies to the Onalaska community, the school’s Board of Trustees, and most importantly, to Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. RESIGNATION LETTER: “I’d like to apologize to @deshaunwatson. I recognize that given the opportunity to respond by criticizing or belittle me, he chose peace and positivity instead.” —Lynn Redden, #Onalaska ISD Superintendent writes. https://t.co/YkBUUQXSuE #abc13 pic.twitter.com/4KLtBDklwq — Courtney Fischer (@CourtneyABC13) September 22, 2018 It became obvious this apology would soon be followed with a prompt resignation after Redden’s comments were made public on the Houston Chronicle‘s Facebook page. If there was any silver lining to this ugly story, it is how Redden makes it a point to honor the man whom he slighted in his resignation letter. “I’d like to apologize directly to Deshaun Watson. I recognize that given the opportunity to respond by criticizing or belittling me, he chose peace and positivity instead. In spite of the terrible position I put him in, he showed himself to be the kind of role model I’d be proud for any of my students to follow.” — Lynn Redden Several players, including Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, came to Watson’s defense to condemn Redden, but it was the quarterback himself who took the high road. When asked about those comments made by the former Onalaska superintendent last week, the 23-year-old quarterback calmly responded to reporters’ questions and chose to focus on being “all about love.” Advertisement . @deshaunwatson on racist comments made by Onalaska ISD superintendent Lynn Redden about him: "That's on him. May peace be with him. I worry about me." pic.twitter.com/3YR2357cPd — Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) September 19, 2018 It’s a terrible situation when racism gets brought into the picture, but especially when unwarranted comments ultimately lead to the end of a career. I’m sure Vernon “Lynn” Redden regrets what he said, and I’m sure that his long career in public service, which included 12 years working in the Onalaska ISD, brought a lot of positive impact to the Onalaska community. Advertisement Still, Redden’s resignation sheds further light into ongoing social challenges faced by the black community on a daily basis in today’s world.<doc-sep>Photo : ONALASKA ISD Good riddance! A white superintendent in Texas who criticized Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in a racist social media post last Sunday resigned from his position, The Associated Press reports. Advertisement Lynn Redden, formerly of the Onalaska Independent School District, wrote “That may have been the most inept quarterback decision I’ve seen in the NFL. When you need precision decision making you can’t count on a black quarterback.” on the Houston Chronicle’s Facebook page on Monday. Redden thought it was a private message and deleted it soon after. But it was up long enough to get the attention of others and the school district, which promptly took action. The school board met Saturday, resulting in Redden’s resignation that same day. When asked on Wednesday about the racist comments , Watson had this to say: “But I’m all about love, [so] I don’t focus on [any] of that. I love all people. And that’s what I focus on. It’s part of life. I can’t control other people and what their beliefs are. I can control what I can control, so I just focus on me, and that’s it.” In a letter Saturday to the Onalaska Independent School District board, Redden said his comment was “wrong and inappropriate.”<doc-sep>Frederick Breedon/Getty Images Lynn Redden, a Texas school superintendent who made a racist remark about Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on the Houston Chronicle's Facebook page, has resigned. According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), Redden, who is white, wrote a letter Saturday confirming he stepped down from his post after writing "You can't count on a black quarterback" in a Facebook comment following the Texans' 20-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 16. In his comment, Redden—then the superintendent of the Onalaska Independent School District—added he was not happy with Watson's time management at the end of the game. "That may have been the most inept quarterback decision I've seen in the NFL," he wrote, according to the Houston Chronicle's Julian Gill. "When you need precision decision making you can't count on a black quarterback." Redden apologized and tried to clarify his remark. "Over the history of the NFL, [black quarterbacks] have had limited success," he told Gill. Asked about Redden's post on Wednesday, Watson took the high road. Video Play Button Videos you might like "That's on him," Watson said, according to ESPN.com's Sarah Barshop. "May peace be with him. I worry about me, so I'm not worried about what he has to say."<doc-sep>The Onalaska ISD superintendent who said "you can't count on a black quarterback" has resigned, calling his comments "wrong and inappropriate" in a letter addressed to the school board president. Lynn Redden, who made the comment Monday morning on the Chron.com Facebook page in reference to Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, submitted his resignation letter to the school board Saturday. Redden told the Houston Chronicle he regretted making the comment. He was referring to the last play of the Texans' Sunday loss, when Watson held onto the ball during the game's final seconds. "That may have been the most inept quarterback decision I've seen in the NFL," he wrote. "When you need precision decision making you can't count on a black quarterback." IRONIC: Superintendent listed as district's civil rights coordinator Redden received swift public backlash for his comment, including from defensive end J.J. Watt, who called it "unfortunate" and "very ignorant." Redden, who is white, apologized in his resignation letter and said the comments "have been an embarrassment to the district, my family, friends and to me." His resignation is effective Sunday. "As an educator, this experience has taught me that I still have a lot to learn," Redden wrote to board president Ted Wiggins. "My comments were not only uninformed but also hurtful, and I understand now why they were offensive to so many people." Redden earned a base salary of $113,006 for the 2017-18 school year, Texas Education Agency records show. The district will pay him for unused personal and leave days at his current daily rate, according to a copy of Redden's voluntary separation agreement provided to the Chronicle. The school board, which accepted Redden's resignation letter after holding a closed meeting Saturday, issued a statement Saturday stating that it "does not condone negative comments or actions toward any race." "The district values every individual, and therefore the district will take the appropriate measures to address the situation expeditiously and completely," the statement said. Attempts to reach members of the district's board and administration were not successful. Ashley Maichetti, executive assistant to the superintendent's office, declined to comment. Redden served as the district's civil rights coordinator and its Title IX coordinator, according to federal documents. Title IX ensures compliance with federal sex discrimination laws. About 1,100 students attend Onalaska ISD, located about 100 miles north of Houston. Of those, 86 percent are white and less than 2 percent are black, according to 2017-18 data from the TEA. More than 70 percent come from low-income families. Watson, asked if he believed Redden should be fired, said, "I only worry about what I can control." Redden apologized to Watson directly in his resignation letter. "I recognize that given the opportunity to respond by criticizing or belittling me, he chose peace and positivity instead," Redden wrote. Texans coach Bill O'Brien said, "Deshaun represents everything that's right about football and life. It's amazing that BS exists, but it does." Redden said he mistakenly thought he was responding to a friend's private message. He deleted the post, but Spring resident Matt Ericksen sent the Chronicle screenshots of the comment Monday. In his resignation letter, Redden said he hoped people would remember him for his "body of work over 42 years in public education, rather than by my unwarranted and inappropriate comments."<doc-sep>
The southeast Texas superintendent who said on Facebook that "you can't count on a black quarterback" is out of a job. Lynn Redden of the Onalaska school district, about 100 miles north of Houston and sandwiched between Huntsville and Livingston, resigned Saturday after he made the remarks about Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on the Houston Chronicle's Facebook page on Monday. His comments came the day after the Texans lost, 20-17, to the Tennessee Titans. On the last play of the game, Watson, who is black, ran several seconds off the clock trying to complete a pass that wound up in the middle of the field as time expired. Lynn Redden "As an educator, this experience has taught me that I still have a lot to learn," Redden wrote in his resignation letter, according to the Chronicle. "My comments were not only uninformed but also hurtful, and I understand now why they were offensive to so many people." Redden's resignation takes effect Sunday, when the Texans will play their first home game of the year against the New York Giants. Redden received blistering criticism for his remarks, but none really from Watson, who said, "I'm all about love so I don't focus on none of that, I love all people," according to The Associated Press. Texans coach Bill O'Brien slammed Redden's remarks. "I don't want to waste any time responding to ignorant, idiotic statements," he said in the Chronicle. "Deshaun represents everything that's right about football and life. It's amazing that BS exists, but it does." Redden, who is white, once served as the district's civil rights coordinator, the Chronicle reported. Fewer than 2 percent of the district's students are black, according to the Texas Education Agency. In his original remark on Facebook, Redden said, "That may have been the most inept quarterback decision I've seen in the NFL," he wrote. "When you need precision decision making you can't count on a black quarterback." He apologized for the statement but then made things worse when he said black quarterbacks "have had limited success" in the NFL. Redden said he thought he was replying to a private account.