Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, a tony suburb of Philadelphia, made national headlines last week when it took the unprecedented step of shutting down an entire volunteer fire company over ties between that company’s vice president and the Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group known as the Proud Boys. The township's action followed the company’s refusal to accept that employee's voluntary resignation from service. On Monday night, the township announced that the company would be reinstated following several positive steps, including agreement to accept the employee’s resignation.
Once his connection with and participation in the Proud Boys’ “initiation rites” and “social events” were revealed by an investigation conducted by the township, the employee of the Bon Air Fire Company, identified as Bruce McClay Jr., had tendered his resignation to the company’s board of directors. The board, however, refused to accept it, and despite a request from the township (which owns the company’s fire trucks), instead released a statement explaining why it felt McClay should not be required to relinquish his duties.
As a result of the company’s refusal to take any action, last week the township shut down the fire company indefinitely, terminating its use of township equipment.
The fire company’s original statement on the issue, posted on Facebook, took the position that McClay’s history of service with the company, his recent (alleged) disengagement from the Proud Boys organization, and the fact that he had “broken no law and committed no crime” justified the board’s actions in refusing to accept his resignation. What that statement did not reveal or address was the extent to which the fire company’s board of directors was aware of the Proud Boys’ history, whether the board was aware of the nature or content of the “social gatherings” and “initiation rites” that McClay had participated in, or, perhaps most importantly, whether some or all members of the fire company’s board may have sympathized with the Proud Boys’ philosophy or views. Also left unexplored was the extent to which the company’s statement may have been influenced by distorted reports about the Proud Boys from right -wing media such as Fox News.
The Haverford Township Board of Commissioners scheduled a public meeting to address the controversy, which, as might be expected, had garnered a great deal of local interest and commentary on social media. The meeting, held this Monday, was standing room only, with voices from the community (and several from outside it) primed and ready to express sentiments of either displeasure with or approval of the township’s action.
But by that time, the issue had been rendered moot—in a 180-degree reversal, the fire company agreed (just before the township meeting) to accept McClay’s resignation, and simultaneously issued another statement acknowledging that its original position was a mistake. Bon Air also indicated it was implementing an anti-discrimination policy similar to that already adopted by the township, as well as sensitivity training for its members. It also stated that any member's participation in any hate group was antithetical to its purpose, and that it would accept McClay’s resignation as of the date it was originally tendered.
Accordingly, the township’s board agreed to reinstate the Bon Air Fire company.
From the company’s supplemental statement:
"We agree with the township that the board of the Bon Air Fire company should have accepted the resignation because it is important that all volunteers who represent the township do so free from bias and without discrimination," the statement said. "In focusing on our relationship with the individual volunteer, the fire company did not recognize the broader impact of our decision on the Haverford community."
(Emphasis added)
That was really the point—as an entity performing a public service under the auspices (and wearing the uniform) of the township, a fire company, even if volunteer, stands in the shoes of the locality itself in the eyes of the public. Therefore, it has to represent and project that township’s values and policies. In 2012, Haverford Township enacted a far-reaching anti-discrimination ordinance, and has made a point of publicly encouraging an atmosphere of inclusion and diversity where people can expect to be treated fairly and equally, particularly with regard to public services. This has also been a strong selling point for the township from an economic and business perspective.
These points, however, seem to have been lost on some of those who attended Monday’s meeting, who were more interested in attacking the township’s “political correctness” in not wanting to retain in its employ someone associated with a modern spiffed-up version of the Ku Klux Klan. WHYY reported the words of one attendee: “’I no longer recognize Haverford Township. I do not recognize my home,’ said longtime resident and conservative newspaper columnist Christine Flowers, adding that McClay had a constitutional right to ‘investigate’ the group.”
Yes, the former firefighter does have a constitutional right to “investigate” a violent, racist hate group—and to participate in its initiation rites if he wants to, even to march with torches and shout that “Jews will not replace us,” if that is what he wishes. However, he does not have a constitutional right to a job—particularly one in which his association with such groups under the quasi-official status of a first responder creates fear, specifically fear in those otherwise marginalized or discriminated against in our society, that they may not be treated by their local government as equal human beings.
The fire company should have realized that from the start. Fortunately, now, it appears it does.