The head of Maine’s regulatory body for boxing and mixed martial arts events is under fire for alleged anti-Muslim posts on his personal Facebook page.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, called Tuesday for the resignation of Hal Pierce, chairman of the Combat Sports Authority of Maine.
The governor appoints board members to the Combat Sports Authority of Maine, which was created by state law to regulate and promote boxing and mixed martial arts in the state. The authority was established by the Legislature in June 2009 to ensure that all mixed martial arts and professional boxing exhibitions, events, performances, and contests are safely regulated and controlled.
“The Governor’s Office is aware of these concerns, takes them very seriously, and is looking into the matter,” Lindsay Crete, a spokeswoman for Governor Janet Mills’ office, wrote in an email.
Public records show Pierce is in his second three-year term on the board. He was appointed by former governor Paul LePage, and his current term expires in 2021. It is not clear how long he has been the chairman.
A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the group received screenshots of racist messages and memes allegedly posted on Pierce’s Facebook page. He declined to say more about the person or people who shared those screenshots.
The offensive posts cited by the council were not publicly visible on his Facebook page Tuesday afternoon.
“While Mr. Pierce has the right to his views, however bigoted, it is absolutely necessary that any athletic official remain unbiased regarding athletes of different cultures and faiths,” said the council’s national communications director, Ibrahim Hooper. “Mr. Pierce’s Islamophobic views render him incapable of carrying out his duties without bias or favor.”
The Combat Sports Authority of Maine licenses events in these sports and signs off on all participants.
The authority did not respond to a voicemail or an email seeking comment Tuesday afternoon. A message left on a phone number for Pierce was also not returned. Pierce could not be reached by email Tuesday evening.
One post cited in the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ statement included the word “infidel” over an American flag and an image of bacon that said, “Pork Fact #76: People who eat bacon are less likely to blow themselves up.” Another shared the conspiracy theory that Muslim refugees are entering the United States to “kill all those who do not submit to Islam.”
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