Editorials, Opinion

Anti-sex ed delegate posts explicit TikTok

The big scandal in West Virginia over the weekend came at the hands of Delegate Joe Jeffries, R-Putnam, who posted a sexually explicit video  on TikTok (a social media platform where users create, post and/or share short videos) last Thursday that went viral.     

(Warning, this next paragraph discusses the video’s content.) According to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which published a short transcript of the clip, Jeffries explains in detail the best way for a woman to receive oral sex if she’s on top.

The sexually explicit video received immediate backlash from political leaders on both sides of the aisle — rightfully so — including a demand from Gov. Jim Justice that Jeffries publicly apologize and an announcement from House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, that Jeffries would be stripped of his committee vice chairman position and his seat on two other committees, according to WV Public Broadcasting.

The irony is Jeffries supported a failed bill that would have forbidden “displays relating to sexuality in public school facilities and … the teaching of sexuality in public schools,” which some critics believed could also prohibit or limit the teaching of sexual education in public schools. In other words, the same man who opposes teenagers being taught about sex and sexuality in a safe and informative environment has no qualms about publicly sharing sexually graphic and vulgar videos on a social media platform geared toward teens and young adults. Hypocrisy, thy name is Joe Jeffries.

If there’s one good thing to come out of this, it’s the knowledge there’s one thing  West Virginia Republicans and Democrats can agree upon: Jeffries is a disgrace to his office and unworthy of the power entrusted to him by voters.