Municipal County Judge Ted Berry and Stephen Byrom, a respiratory therapist at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, are among the latest Ohioans facing the consequences for their comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Berry, a municipal judge in Hamilton County, made a series of comments over Facebook about the slain conservative icon. As the Cincinnati Enquirer highlighted:
In the first of several Facebook posts responding to a memorial post for Kirk—the conservative activist who was fatally shot Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University—Berry said, “Rest in Hatred & Division!”
After someone posted that the country was divided about Kirk but was open to learning more, Berry responded that Kirk “spewed hate & division.”
“How’s he feel about gun violence and gun control in Hell, now?” Berry said in a post.
Berry later said that because of Kirk’s activities, “many black colleges are receiving hateful bomb threats, etc.”
A Facebook post from Republican state Rep. Adam Mathews includes screenshots of Berry’s reply.
As the Enquirer reports, Mathews “said that if Berry doesn’t resign, he is prepared to file a formal grievance with the Ohio Supreme Court or look for other actions to remove Berry.”
When reached for comment, Berry’s office advised the Daily Signal to contact the Ohio Supreme Court.
Berry has already seen consequences from his comments, having been forced off the board of the Joe Burrow Foundation. The foundation, launched by Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow, issued a “Statement on Board Member Termination.”
“The Joe Burrow Foundation was founded on the belief that everyone has the responsibility to do good. We have terminated an advisory board member that made inappropriate remarks in light of recent events and they are no longer associated with the Foundation. Their comments do not reflect our values or our mission,” the statement read. “We are committed to accountability and respect for all.”
Although Berry is not mentioned by name, Fox News reported that the judge was that ousted board member. The Daily Signal also reached out to the Joe Burrow Foundation for comment.
In addition to confirming for The Daily Signal that Berry was the board member in question, Mathews also highlighted how the judge was disinvited from a Monday event honoring retiring judges.
Mathews applauded Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair Alex Linser’s decision to remove Berry from the event, telling The Daily Signal that he was giving “credit where it’s due,” while adding “many elected Democratic officials have condemned this violence [against Kirk].”
He specifically mentioned Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Mathews also made clear that he is “hopeful that this the direction we go because the foundation of the republic depends on this idea that you don’t murder your opponents.”
He pointed to a poll from YouGov showing a significant portion of liberals and young people believe that political violence is “always or usually acceptable” and that “violence can sometimes be justified.” Mathews stressed that “that has to stop,” adding, “this is bad” and there “needs to be a continuous part day in and day out to respect people who disagree with you.”
Public figures have resigned over their social media posts, including former Fairview Park City Council President Michael Kilbane, who stepped down last Saturday.
As for Stephen Byrom, a respiratory therapist at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, he’s also been highlighted over social media for a post glorifying Kirk’s murder.
“He deserves an unnamed ditch in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the waste of oxygen will be worth something to vultures,” a screenshot of Byrom’s post reads.
A report from WCMH noted that the medical center is “investigating” an unnamed employee for social media posts.
In an email for The Daily Signal, Marti Leitch, the medical center’s director of media relations confirmed they are aware of the post and are investigating.
“We are aware of this matter and are following our established review process. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center strongly condemns all forms of violence and remains committed to providing world-class care to every person, every time,” she wrote.
The Daily Signal also reached out to Byrom’s work email for comment.
Other Ohio figure under scrutiny is former state Rep. Elliot Forhan, currently running for attorney general as a Democrat. His Republican opponent, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, called out Forhan in a statement for The Daily Signal: “This vulgar outburst and others from elected officials across Ohio are not just immature, they’re toxic to our politics and unworthy of people who claim to want to lead.”
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