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At Monday’s meeting of the Stanly County Board of Commissioners, a heated exchange between a commissioner and a citizen happened.

Brian Talbert, during the public comments section of the meeting, referred to information posted on social media by Commissioner Tommy Jordan.

Talbert said Jordan referred to his constituents as “fools, idiots and dumb rednecks.”

Jordan’s comments, Talbert added, were in reference to a post on Facebook which stated two bus loads of Antifa (anti-fascist) protesters were on their way to start rioting in Locust. (For related story, click the following link: ( https://www.thesnaponline.com/2020/06/02/locust-police-refute-social-media-posts-of-intended-violence/ )

Talbert said people online warned others of the information contained in the original post, to which Jordan called them “dumb fools and rednecks.”

“A lot of the people you offended are Republican just like myself,” Talbert said.

He asked Jordan if he would apologize for the comments.

“Would you like to issue the people of Stanly County an apology for making fun of them for trying to warn their friends and neighbors? Cause if not, Mr. Jordan, that makes you the only idiot, fool and redneck.”

Carrie Pennington spoke next, saying she was the one who posted a copy of the post on a Facebook local group page with the information regarding Antifa.

Pennington said a friend of hers called the Locust Police Department. After no answer at the department, her friend contacted Stanly County Sheriff Jeff Crisco.

She said when she posted a response from Crisco, Jordan called her “a fear monger and an idiot and said to quit stuttering.”

“I will point out (stuttering) is an actual disability for some people and is to be very offensive to me and others in our community who might suffer from a speech impediment,” Pennington said. “I was not trying to cause chaos or panic, just to raise awareness for the community to watch out for each other as towns were being burned all over the country.”

In conclusion, she said Jordan “has repeatedly called people idiots, dumb…or inbred rednecks. What kind of language is that for a county commissioner to be using to anyone?”

With the board’s comments following, Chairman Matthew Swain tried to begin by having Commissioner, Lane Furr start, but Jordan said, “Can I just clarify that one? I promise I’ll be nice.”

Swain said he would “ask (you) not to engage but you can engage if you would like.”

Jordan said “when you take office…you lose all rights to self and your identity, who you are when you’re not doing that job. And I disagree with that.”

“I have said a lot of dumb things and a lot of loud things and a lot of things that sometimes I regretted and sometimes I didn’t over the past 15 years,” Jordan added.

Saying he was “overly mentally exhausted” with all of what has happened in the current pandemic, “My patience is not what it should be and for that I will apologize.”

Jordan said he has two different pages, one for “Commissioner Jordan” and the other for “the guy that likes to shoots guns and has dogs and rides horses, play with my four-wheelers and ride motorcycles.”

“I’m not always Commissioner Jordan. I refuse to be held to that commissioner title 24 hours a day, 365 days out of the year. That’s just not what I think anyone should be expected to do,” Jordan said.

People who run for certain jobs, like for governor or president of the United States, “are asking for it and that’s what comes along with it.”

Saying he believes Antifa “should be stopped,” Jordan said law enforcement was required to react to the information whether true or not.

Jordan addressed people making the posts, saying they claimed two bus loads of terrorists, “or what we are all kind of feeling like they are terrorists, are coming to Stanly County.”

With the sheriff unable to corroborate the information, Jordan said, he “tried his best before dragging out 12 fully outfitted SWAT officers, the entire SWAT division, (and) eight command staff, costing our county a ton of money and rolling those boys to Locust for nothing.”

Jordan said a comment which he added has since been pulled down that claimed the buses were already in Locust which he “knew was a hoax.”

He said the claim of fools and rednecks were his words, adding “he wouldn’t argue” after Talbert began to engage Jordan in a discussion.

“If this conversation is going to devolve…I will end it,” Swain said.

When Pennington spoke up, Swain said, “I welcome your public comment, but I won’t allow it to devolve in my meeting room.”

Some shouting continued, with Talbert saying “we’re the ones that put you in that position. You can be removed as easy as you were put there.”