A Religious Right candidate with extreme views lost a Republican primary race for Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) in May.
Mary Lou Bruner became the focus of attention after several of her social media posts became public. She believes that climate change is a myth devised by Karl Marx, and that President Barack Obama had previously worked as a gay prostitute.
Bruner’s inflammatory public Facebook posts also indicated a serious commitment to creationism and “Christian nation” pseudo-history. She blamed school shootings on court decisions that upheld the teaching of evolution and removed the Ten Commandments from government buildings.
Former SBOE chair Don McLeroy, also a creationist, had endorsed her candidacy. “I think she’ll be a great asset,” he told the Texas Observer. “She testified all the time when I was on the board.”
“If Bruner had ultimately won election to the board, she would have instantly become the most embarrassingly uninformed and divisive member on a board that already too often puts politics ahead of making sure our kids get a sound education,” said Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller.
Bruner lost her race to Kevin Ellis, who currently sits on the school board in Lufkin.
