Citing a “life-altering family issue” and related concerns, Ector County School Board Trustee Doyle Woodall suddenly resigned his office late Wednesday.
Woodall’s departure comes right as the embattled school board member was facing criticism for controversial Facebook posts he made, including one post depicting a noose, that sparked protests and calls for him to resign.
Earlier this week, Woodall issued an apology for the offensive content, saying he is truly sorry for sharing the posts.
In his resignation letter, Woodall revealed he has been receiving death threats from restricted phone numbers but insisted that regardless of everything that has occurred, he still would have resigned his office.
“It is with no regret that I, at this time, tender my resignation, [effective] immediately but not for the reasons you may think,” Woodall wrote.
“My 88-year-old mother is ill, and it takes a lot of time to help her but that is not the main reason. I was blindsided by a life altering family issue Tuesday evening. My family has always came [sic] first.”
According to the letter, Woodall was first elected to the school board in 2004 and has served in numerous capacities during his tenure.
With his resignation, the school board will now have the option of appointing someone to fill the vacancy or leaving the office vacant until the next election in May 2021.
Woodall also signaled that if the issues that prompted his resignation from the school board are resolved by the next election cycle, he may consider running for the position again.