Byrd Protesters Ejected From Subcommittee Meeting

On Tuesday afternoon, demonstrators — at least some of whom are from state Rep. David Byrd’s home grounds of Waynesboro — interrupted were present at a hearing of the House Education Administration Subcommittee, which Byrd chairs.  

State troopers shortly materialized in the hearing room and evicted the demonstrators after warning them to cease and desist. The protesters were holding signs with messages including "Resign Byrd" and "Protect our Kids." Among the demonstrators was former 7th District Congressional candidate Justin Kanew.

Just before the outbursts, Byrd himself had called a five-minute recess, ostensibly to await better attendance at the subcommittee hearing from representatives whose bills were on the agenda. As he left through a side door, one demonstrator shouted, “David, why did you apologize?”

This was in obvious reference to a widely heard audio recording that once again received significant publicity this past week. On it, Byrd is heard apologizing to a former student of his, now an adult who has charged the state representative with sexual misconduct. Byrd and his supporters, including House Speaker Glen Casada, have maintained that the apology does not amount to an admission of guilt.

The ejected demonstrators were allowed to remain in an adjacent hallway, where they discussed with troopers and the media their reason for protesting.

Both Byrd and Casada have come in for renewed criticism during the last week — Byrd because of his alleged actions, and Casada because of his defenses of Byrd and for his statements that women who have accused Byrd of sexual misconduct are vending “fake news” and that, if he had been raped (as several women alleged they were by Byrd as students), he would “move” and “hell would have no fury.”

Attempts to get a reaction from Casada to the incident in Byrd’s hearing room were unavailing because, as a trooper outside his office on the sixth floor of the Cordell Hull Building said, the Speaker had “left the building.”

See footage from the incident below.

Update: A previous version of this post stated that the demonstrators interrupted the meeting with taunts and questions. This is incorrect. The exchange happened after the hearing was gaveled out for a recess.