Teacher Who Resigned After Jan. 6 Photo Surfaced Just Won School Board Seat
A Massachusetts teacher who was targeted after being linked to the Capitol incursion won a school committee race on Tuesday.
Matthew Lynch of Braintree had been in Washington on Jan. 6 and was photographed in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Amid the hunt to identify those who breached the building, the picture was bandied about social media groups in the community, leading Lynch to leave the job he held for a decade.
On Tuesday, he was among three people elected to the Braintree School Committee, receiving 2,319 votes, which placed him second overall, according to Patch.
He said that as a school committee member, his priority will be “getting decision-making back with parents and away from the state,” The Patriot-Ledger reported.
Prior to the vote, Lynch had shared that he was questioned twice by the FBI in the aftermath of having his photo spread across social media, according to a separate Patch article.
Neither he nor the FBI would discuss the contents of what was said in those interviews.
However, it was clear that the posts about him, some of which included a tip line for reporting potential criminals to the FBI, rankled.
Lynch said those who posted his picture were guilty of “slandering me as a domestic terrorist.”
He called the group a “digital Lynch mob” who “decided they would take ‘justice’ into their own hands.”
Lynch resigned in February, saying the step was necessary.
“Unfortunately as the times change and situations evolve, I can no longer be true to myself while service the role as a Braintree Public School Teacher,” Lynch wrote in his resignation letter.
“My military experience as an Intelligence Analyst has given me unique perspective on what is currently going on in both our country and our town and I fear we are heading on a real collision course,” he added.
“I feel I need to make my voice heard in the town of Braintree but in doing so will have unintended side effects which will be completely unfair to my students.”
Lynch said that when he turned in his resignation, he told the Braintree High School principal he would run for the school committee.
Prior to the election, Lynch offered Patch his thoughts on the state of education in America.
“There is a revolution in education going on right now. More and more kids will be leaving public schools for private, Catholic or homeschooling, which will have a negative effect on Braintree’s schools,” he said.
“I love Braintree Schools and I believe they are worth fighting for, so we have to show parents why Braintree Schools is the place for their children.”
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