The Board of Directors of the 28,000-member Nebraska State Education Association on Saturday voted unanimously to censure Nebraska State Board of Education member Pat McPherson and to call for his resignation.

McPherson is the founder, editor and a contributor to a blog that repeatedly posted bigoted racial, ethnic and other discriminatory slurs. He was elected in November to represent a slice of central Omaha and rural Douglas County, including Waterloo, Valley and Bennington.

NSEA President Nancy Fulton, who earlier denounced McPherson’s blog, said the NSEA Board wanted to be clear that it stands united in its condemnation of the blog and call for McPherson’s resignation.

“We believe Pat McPherson is unfit to provide leadership as a Nebraska Board of Education member that sets educational policy for our state’s public schools, students and teachers,” said Fulton. “Mr. McPherson’s blog illustrates that he does not have the ability to dispatch his duties on the Board fairly and effectively with the interest of each and every Nebraska child at heart.”

“Our Association’s core values include showing respect for all people. We believe that our public schools should promote mutual respect as well as an understanding of diversity,” Fulton said. “We value diversity as being vital to the education process and integral in preparing students to function in a democratic society that protects human and civil rights.”

NSEA’s Board of Directors is elected by its membership. There are 32 board members from across the state. They represent 28,000 teachers and other public education employees.

There have been calls for McPherson’s resignation from Gov. Pete Ricketts, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, the Omaha and Lincoln chapters of the NAACP, several Nebraska newspaper editorial boards, dozens of pastors from the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and more.

Founded in 1867, the NSEA has 28,000 members across the state.