Candidate’s remarks called ‘shameful, reprehensible’
Steve Lynch, a personal trainer from Northampton, is the Republican nominee for Northampton County Executive. He participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nation’s capitol, wearing a bulletproof vest and shouting, “It’s going down!” He admits he received a visit from the FBI over his role, but no charges were filed. Now he’s created a stir again over what many perceive as a threat to coerce Northampton Area School Directors to reverse a temporary mask mandate.
Lynch spoke at an anti-mask and anti-vax rally in Harrisburg Aug. 29, and complained to a supportive crowd about the mask mandate. He prefaced his remarks with an appeal to men.
“Men, where are you? “ he asked. “Men, wake up! Smell the coffee! Let’s go! Make men great again, right? Make men men again, let’s go!”
He then went on to say, “Forget going onto these school boards with freakin’ data. You go into these school boards to remove them. I’m going in with 20 strong men and I’m gonna give them an option - they can leave or they can be removed.”
A backlash erupted on social media and even received national news attention. Lynch backtracked Aug. 30, claiming his remarks were taken out of context and denying any intent to forcibly remove school directors. Since his threat to bring “20 strong men” to Northampton’s next school board meeting, Governor Tom Wolf has issued a statewide school mask mandate.
Nevertheless, there will be a number of strong men (and women) at Northampton’s next few school board meetings. They’ll have badges. The district superintendent has requested and Northampton County has agreed to provide security. Deputy sheriffs will be at the next several meetings to keep the peace.
Countyt Executive Lamont McClure advised council at its Sept. 2 meeting that the county will be reimbursed by the school district for the cost of security.
Any arrest would be made by police, not deputies.
Northampton County Council member Ron Heckman, himself a graduate of Northampton Area HS, called Lynch’s remarks “shameful and reprehensible. It should be condemned at every level.”