Columbia Heights board member says he won't resign

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. (KMSP) - The Columbia Heights school board voted Tuesday night to approve a resolution urging the resignation of one of its members accused of making degrading comments towards Muslims on Facebook.

The meeting was board member Grant Nichols' first public appearance since the incident occurred. At the public forum, 52 people spoke up about the incident; 50 opposing his status on the board, two in favor.

Principals of all Columbia Heights schools read the resolution for Nichols to resign for allegedly making several anti-Muslim comments on a Star Tribune Facebook post on Sept. 6, calling them “unsanitary.”

On Tuesday night, the Columbia Heights School Board voted in favor of resolution asking for Grant Nichols resignation, but the decision remains up to him. He told media after the meeting he has no interest in stepping down, and contends he did not even publish the offensive Facebook post in question.

Last week, the board voted not to remove Nichols as a board member, prompting students at Columbia Heights High School to walk out of class in protest of the decision.