Selectmen in a Maine town have voted unanimously to fire the town manager with a $30,000 settlement after he posted racist messages on social media.
Fired Jackman town manager Tom Kawczynski, who came under the spotlight last week when pro-white and anti-Islam messages on his social media pages were reported by the Bangor Daily News, said he has lost a job, but gained a cause fighting for "white civil rights."
"I hate no race and I love all people. But I do love white people," said Kawczynski. "It is my firm belief that we should have rights as every other group. White civil rights is an issue we need to address."
Part of his settlement comes with the agreement that he takes no action against the town.
"I do not regret this fight for one moment and this is just the beginning," Kawczynski said.
The town attorney says the selectmen thoroughly vetted Kawczynski before hiring him and only learned about the racist views this weekend.
He adds they'll take a close look at candidates' social media as they start to search for a new town manager.
Maine
The latest news from around the state
Kawcynski refused to answer questions Tuesday, including a question about whether he intends to stay in town.
