Fresno County schools trustee who took part in Capitol raid must resign immediately
When the mob of MAGA mutinists breached the security perimeter and stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, James Hoak stood proudly among them.
The newly elected Sierra Unified School District trustee said he went to Washington, D.C. to attend a Trump rally as a member of the media. He displayed his journalistic ethics by wearing an oversized Joe Biden mask and black-and-white striped prison costume.
Once at the Capitol, Hoak removed the Biden mask long enough to live video stream his firsthand participation in the insurrection to his audience on Facebook.
“This is what it looks like when you storm the capitol and it is not burning down yet,” Hoak said to his followers in one of two videos that have since been deleted. (He later claimed, in a story on uSpark.com, that Facebook removed the videos. How convenient.)
The most troubling word in Hoak’s declaration is the last one: yet. He sounds as if he’s anticipating the Capitol burning down and that he’s happy about the prospect.
This is the guy Fresno County foothill residents want overseeing U.S. history curriculum at their kids’ schools?
Evidently so. Hoak finished fourth out of eight candidates in the recent Sierra Unified board member election, just enough to secure one of the four open seats. He and the three others were sworn in Dec. 14.
Did the oath Hoak took include a clause about not taking part in political coups? If not, might be time to insert one.
Hoak claims his actions were those of a private citizen. Sorry, nope. That excuse no longer washes. Once you’re an elected official, all of that private citizen stuff goes bye bye. Public trustees carry a heavier burden of responsibility and scrutiny.
Fresno’s MAGA group in D.C.
Which is why Hoak finds himself in my crosshairs, as opposed to the other right-wing agitators from our community who were gleeful participants in this act of domestic terrorism.
But I guess it’s only fair to mention Benjamin Martin, Fresno’s angriest real estate agent.
One day, Martin is in front of Trader Joe’s yelling about how a private business requiring its customers to wear masks during a raging pandemic is an attack on his freedom. The next, he’s in our nation’s capital to violently protest against the results of a free election that has withstood all legal and institutional challenges — even in states where Republicans control the levers of power.
Only a person completely cut off from logic and reality could fail to see the irony.
Martin was also on hand Friday at Reagan National Airport as a mob of MAGA zealots harassed Sen. Lindsey Graham. (Who must suddenly realize how much easier it is to create a monster than contain one. ) As were Josh Fulfer and Jason Phillips, members of the group that hounded Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias at his home in May.
Hoak, who filmed the Arias confrontation, at least had the sense not to enter the Capitol while livestreaming. If he had, he’d probably be like that West Virginia lawmaker taken from his home in handcuffs by the FBI.
Intolerant Facebook posts vanish
A concerned Sierra Unified parent, one of many who contacted district superintendent Alan Harris and is considering a recall effort against Hoak, alerted me to posts and videos on Hoak’s public Facebook page that expressed intolerance toward Muslims and the LGBTQ community.
But by the time I took a peek Friday afternoon, the offending videos had disappeared as if by magic. Or perhaps the Facebook tyrants deleted those as well. Wink wink.
“When I found out (Hoak) was elected, I thought it was a joke — honestly,” the parent said. “I didn’t see what benefit he had in that. School board members are meant to serve the kids. Why would someone with his politics even want to be on there?”
Let me take a wild guess: to spread love for the most corrupt, criminal president in American history and contempt for anyone not along wearing MAGA blinders.
Hoak’s first official school board meeting is Monday. He should mark the occasion by tendering his immediate resignation.
Of course, I’m near certain he won’t. Such a step would require integrity.
This story was originally published January 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
