Curt Schilling’s Facebook Photo: Anti-Transgender Meme Gets Schilling Fired From ESPN [Graphic Photo]
The Facebook page of Curt Schilling might say that Schilling still works at ESPN in Curt’s Facebook “about” section, however, ESPN has fired Curt, as reported by the New York Times. The reason lies behind why Facebook searches for “Curt Schilling anti-transgender meme” and “Curt Schilling anti-transgender meme photos” are being reported as popular searches on Facebook as of this writing.
The actual photo that Schilling shared via Autumn Williams II’s Facebook meme is displayed below. It features an overweight male wearing a black shirt with cutouts to reveal his chest region. The meme that Curt shared also shows the photo’s subject wearing a blonde wig, carrying a pink purse and wearing high heels. The wording on the controversial meme claimed that the man had to be allowed into restrooms with “your daughter” or else they’d be deemed a bunch of negative things.
“Let Him In! To the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to die!”
Warning: The below photo that appeared on Schilling’s Facebook page might be offensive to some viewers.
Dear God, Curt Schilling. pic.twitter.com/GEEs5Q2Ppj
— Brandon Benson (@bensonbrandon10) April 19, 2016
The above screenshot shows the fact that Schilling shared the controversial post being deemed anti-transgender on Facebook. However, at one point, the former ESPN analyst and MLB pitcher denied posting it to Facebook despite the screenshot of the meme appearing on Curt’s Facebook page. Schilling said he merely commented on the Facebook post. As reported by the Big Lead, Curt was blindsided by the backlash on Facebook that he got for the anti-transgender meme.
For all of you people dying to be offended by something that never actually happened. https://t.co/6V4Ql8gd0e
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) April 19, 2016
While Schilling deleted the Facebook post after he shared it on Facebook, the post that he originally shared is still on Facebook. The Facebook account of Autumn Williams II shows the meme that got Schilling fired from ESPN, along with a comment that it had received “almost 700 shares” at that point on Tuesday, April 19.
Curt Schilling fired by ESPN after controversial Facebook post: https://t.co/1MOVGdLe9R pic.twitter.com/Auy2VNJAsG
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 21, 2016
Meanwhile, ESPN explained the firing of Schilling in an article titled “Analyst Curt Schilling dismissed by ESPN for ‘unacceptable conduct,'” which was published late in the evening on Wednesday, April 20. The short statement from ESPN explained that Curt was fired after the “insensitive” Facebook post was published. It also touched on a previous controversial tweet from Schilling that compared Nazis and Muslims.
“It’s said only 5-10% of Muslims are extremists. In 1940, only 7% of Germans were Nazis. How’d that go?”
Schilling claimed on his blog that he didn’t post the “ugly-looking” photo but was making a comment about restrooms. However, Curt’s writings couldn’t save his job. Before long, ESPN issued the statement about Schilling being fired.
“ESPN has dismissed baseball analyst Curt Schilling after he posted an insensitive message on social media this week regarding transgender bathroom laws.”
“ESPN issued a statement Wednesday that read: ‘ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated.'”
“Schilling, who has been part of ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Baseball’ broadcasts this season, had worked as a game and studio analyst for ESPN since 2010.”
“He was suspended last August by ESPN after comparing extremist Muslims to Nazis in a social media posting.”
“Prior to joining ESPN, Schilling had a 20-year major league career in which he pitched for five teams, finishing up with four years as a member of the Boston Red Sox.”
Pretty quickly after the news broke about Schilling being fired, Twitter reported Curt Schilling as a trending topic with more than 20,000 tweets coming into the social networking site about Curt.
On Facebook, reactions to Curt Schilling’s firing are mixed — with some saying it was about time for him to go.
[AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez]
