SC politician apologizes for vulgar insult in response to question about 9/11

A South Carolina politician is apologizing for using a vulgar insult while discussing September 11th with a man on Facebook .

The man, who Mount Pleasant Councilman Kevin Cunnane said he considered a friend, shared a screenshot showing the insult on Facebook Wednesday night. That has prompted an apology from Cunnane.

“I want to apologize for using vulgar language. There is no excuse,” Cunnane told The State Thursday. “It’s my fault. I apologize, period.”

Cunnane said he was sorry for calling Barry Wolff a vulgar term referring to a female body part. In a private direct message the New York native wrote to Wolff, “I can post whatsoever I want you (expletive),” using all-caps on the derogatory insult.

He followed that with a message saying, “And I will continue to do so. Especially if it pisses you off.”

Cunnane said he made his comment in “the heat of the conversation” on a topic that hit a nerve with him — 9/11.

According to the official Mount Pleasant website, Cunnane was “a Firefighter and later Fire Marshal in the FDNY, he responded to the collapse of the World Trade Center,” on Sept. 11, 2001.

The councilman said he often posts about 9/11 on his personal Facebook page, which was something Wolff had noticed.

In a comment on Cunnane’s Facebook page, Wolff inquired about why the councilman posted so often about 9/11.

“I will ask this question at the risk of being called everything in the book. ... As much as it hurts me to say this, and I hope I’m wrong, it has become something that looks like you (are) searching for validation for yourself,” said Wolff’s comment. “I consider you my friend. I am a very patriotic person. Please unfriend me if I have crossed a line for you, but I can’t undo what I feel in my heart.”

Cunnane responded via private direct message, which Wolff shared on his Facebook page. Cunnane said this time of year is emotional with the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington less than a week away.

“He got a little nasty, but it’s my fault,” Cunnane told The State. “It’s an emotional thing and I took it serious. But I should have chosen my words better.”

In his Facebook post, Wolff asked whether it is “ever appropriate for an elected official to call a constituent this?”

Not according to Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie.

“It is beneath the dignity of the office in the town of Mount Pleasant, and it certainly warrants an apology not only to the citizen but to the Mount Pleasant citizenry at large,” Haynie said, according to postandcourier.com. “An elected official, no matter how emotional the issue, should not result to personal name-calling with one of their constituents.”

Cunnane told The State he did not hear directly from Haynie, other than being thanked for publicly apologizing. The councilman said most of the feedback he has received has been positive.

“I’m a fighter. I have a lot of supporters telling me to keep up being a good fighter,” according to Cunnane, who said he joined the town council in February to improve fire protection in Mount Pleasant.

He said he has no intention of stepping down from town council because of this incident. Because he filled an empty seat on the council, he is up for re-election in November.

Cunnane would not commit to running for the seat, saying his “plans are not solidified.” He added he is not particularly interested in pursuing a political career, and that this incident might impact his decision-making process.

This story was originally published September 7, 2018 at 5:18 AM.