Chowchilla councilmember shares Facebook post using sexist vulgarity toward Kamala Harris
Facebook posts shared by a Chowchilla City Councilmember who is running unopposed in November’s election included memes that use sexually vulgar language to refer to women aligned with the Democratic Party, including U.S. vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
The Fresno Bee reviewed the Facebook page of Councilmember John Chavez and found that he has a history of publicly sharing far-right, sometimes crude content and doctored photos. Chavez posted a meme Sept. 18 that featured a drawing of Harris that reads “SAY NO TO THE H--,” the last word using a well-known slang term for sex workers.
The Bee decided not to publish any of the other images of the content on Chavez’s social media.
Screenshots of his social media activity were circulating Saturday among some residents and also were posted on Facebook by Brad Conner, a Chowchilla resident who referred to Chavez as a fellow Catholic. Chavez also frequently shares religious content. Conner expressed outrage in his post, which tagged Chavez and other Chowchilla elected officials.
“People can disagree politically, but this is disgusting,” Conner’s post reads. “John Chavez, you should be ashamed. You have daughters!”
Conner told The Bee in a phone interview Saturday night that it’s one thing to prefer conservative policy, but that Chavez’s social media behavior is not about that.
“Since when is it OK to call women h--?,” Conner said. “He (Chavez) represents this town.”
The Bee talked to Chavez and Chowchilla Mayor Kelly Smith on Sunday at a previously-announced meet-and-greet with constituents outside St. Columba Catholic Church. Chavez is serving his fourth term on the Chowchilla City Council since 2004, and he has served as the city’s mayor three times in the past.
Smith, the current mayor, told The Bee he would not comment on Chavez’s Facebook content.
“I don’t know enough about Facebook,” he said, “but I know that I can share something off of my page and put it on your page and it shows up on your page ... We’ll let it play out.”
Chavez confirmed that he “reposted” the content The Bee asked about, but he disagreed that the content uses sexually vulgar language.
He declined to comment further when The Bee asked whether he thought sharing such posts was appropriate, especially for an elected official. No other Chowchilla councilmember uses Facebook to share similar content, a Fresno Bee review found. The Bee also found a second Facebook account with Chavez’s name and photos.
Some Facebook posts by Chavez allude to a potential inappropriate connection between Harris and music mogul Diddy, a well-known music mogul who was arrested last month on charges that include sex trafficking.
On Sept. 22, Chavez posted a meme that reads “DIDDY SURE DID HAVE A LOT OF AMAZING FRIENDS” and includes doctored photos of him with Harris. Additional photos show Diddy with former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama and others.
“P. DIDDY & KAMALA ‘hanging out’ back in the day. Wonder if any ‘Crazy Stuff’ was going on then?,” the post reads.
On May 28, a post by Chavez included a doctored photo that depicted actor Robert De Niro in drag, mimicking the appearance of transgender Tik Toker Dylan Mulvaney in a Bud Light advertisement from last year that sparked backlash from conservatives against the beer company.
Screenshots posted by Conner, the Chowchilla resident who objected about the content online, indicate the other Chavez Facebook account shared a meme that included a photo of Michelle Obama and read “ANYONE SAYING I WASN’T THE BEST FIRST LADY CAN S--- MY D---!”
Another meme included a photo of Rachel Levine, a transgender woman and assistant secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That meme says “SHE HAS B----,” the last word is the slang term for testicles, and “FACT CHECK THAT.”
The public view on the Facebook account that shared the Michelle Obama and Levine memes no longer showed that content on Saturday night. But the account that shows the photos of Harris still displayed the image and others that some residents complained about, as of Monday evening.
According to the city of Chowchilla’s website, Chavez was born in 1966 and has worked in the baking industry. He was named Citizen of the Year in 2005 by the Chowchilla Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Central Division executive board of the League of California Cities, according to the city’s website.
This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Chowchilla councilmember shares Facebook post using sexist vulgarity toward Kamala Harris."
