A southern Vermont legislator is speaking out after being the target of racially loaded comments on social media.
A Twitter user posted comments mocking Rep. Kiah Morris, D-Bennington, based on her race.
The user was responding to a tweet announcing that Morris was projected to win the uncontested Democratic primary for her district on Aug. 9.
The Twitter user with the name “Max Misch” posted a caricature of a black person and a comment that included racially charged mimicry and distortions of vulgarities. The user tagged Morris, who is one of two black members of the House of Representatives.
The Twitter profile identifies Misch as an Army veteran in Bennington who identifies with the “alt right” movement.
Misch has posted retweets from David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who is running for U.S. Senate in Louisiana.
Morris retweeted Misch’s posts on Tuesday with the comment, “For the folks in the back row. Tell me again that race does not have an (effect) on Vermont politics.”
She also posted a screenshot of the tweets on her campaign Facebook page with a statement.
“When you allow drive-by harassment of locals on social media pages but do not speak out against it, you endorse this kind of behavior and discourse in our communities,” wrote Morris, who is running for a second term. “Deny them the audience. Decry the hatred. You have an obligation to do so.”
Reached by VtDigger via Twitter direct message, the person using the Max Misch account acknowledged having made the post and said the reason was that Morris is not racially representative of the majority of her electoral district.