A school board trustee in Chilliwack, B.C., is being criticized for posting a meme on social media that appears to show people with Christian and traditional values being run over by a steamroller.
The meme appears to celebrate the new Barbie movie currently screening in theatres and shows a steamroller labelled “Barbie” with a rainbow-coloured roller chasing a group of people. Over the group, the labels “traditional family,” “Christian values,” and the “sanctity of marriage” can be seen. People in the cab of the steamroller appear to be celebrating.
Trustee Teri Westerby, who could not be reached for comment, posted the meme on Facebook July 27. It has since been taken down, but some have criticized it, including fellow trustee Heather Maahs.
“I personally have to say I am deeply concerned that any trustee elected to represent the entire community would depict some members of this city in such an egregious manner,” Ms. Maahs told The Epoch Times.
“It makes me wonder, do some of my colleagues believe that people who uphold traditional family and Christian/Religious values etc., need to be ’steamrolled' or destroyed?”
Ms. Maahs went on to point out the school board censured her during a heated board meeting earlier this year where members of the public were expressing concerns over sexual content in school materials.
“The same board censured me this past year for a meeting where the chair disallowed public comment and cut microphones yet decided I was responsible for the public’s reaction, but now the chair supports this trustee when it comes to denigrating a large demographic of this community?” Ms. Maahs said.
Willow Reichelt, Chilliwack District 33 school board chair, did not respond to The Epoch Times following a request for comment. However, a statement of hers was shared with The Epoch Times. In it, Ms. Reichelt suggests people are misunderstanding the meme.
“Trustee Teri Westerby is a valued member of the board and is committed to supporting and improving public education,” said Ms. Reichelt in the statement. “The meme he shared on his personal Facebook page does not advocate violence against those with traditional family values: It pokes fun at the fact that some online commentators are claiming that Barbie is destroying family values.”
“We take inclusion seriously and recognize that different families have different belief systems. … The people in this district will have their chance to review Trustee Westerby’s performance as a trustee during the next municipal election in 2026.”
