Subscriber exclusive: Scott Co. presiding commissioner shared many vulgar memes on Facebook before winning election

Before he was elected to the county's highest government office last fall, Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jim Glueck shared several misogynistic and sexist memes on his Facebook timeline depicting women in various stages of undress and compromising positions.

The shared posts, which contain vulgar language and themes intended to be humorous, have been brought to light as the county faces a sex discrimination lawsuit against the county sheriff and the county government.

Some of the posts date back to 2015. One includes a scantily clad woman wearing a Confederate flag bra, and text that supports the flag but also degrades the woman in the photo.

The Scott County Courthouse is seen Monday, July 29, 2019, in Benton.Ben Matthews

One post shared by Glueck depicts a man spanking a woman in a maid outfit, with her posterior largely exposed, bent over a kitchen counter with the caption: "How you gotta treat girls with smart mouths."

A number of posts feature the F-word. Others make reference to oral sex.

Glueck said Wednesday he restricted access to his Facebook page on Nov. 1, five days before the election, but after Scott City attorney Keith Allen voiced concern about the posts Glueck had shared online.

Allen posted the concerns in a video shared by Facebook user Pate Hogan of New Madrid, Missouri.

Hogan wrote, "there are some things on that (Glueck's personal Facebook page) I wouldn't want my daughter to see."

Glueck said his Facebook page is now "a locked, private page" and that he only shares posts now with his friends. He claimed criticism of his Facebook page came from political opponents last fall.

Glueck went on to defeat incumbent commissioner Jamie Burger.

"Everybody has their own opinion," Glueck said. "I don't post stuff. I just share it is all I do."

Glueck added, "None of my friends are going to be opposed to what I am doing because they are the ones that are always liking what I share all the time."

He said, "If people don't like it, they ain't got to look at it," adding, "What I got a problem with is people ought to mind their own damn business."

Glueck said his sharing of Facebook posts doesn't affect his job as presiding commissioner.

A mechanic who owns a service and repair shop, Glueck wrote on his timeline on Dec. 17, 2018, that "I post what I want. Don't like it? Unfriend me. Contains mature adult content not appropriate for minors or adults with large sticks up their ass."

Glueck, representing the county, gave a deposition May 1 in connection with the sex discrimination lawsuit.

Glueck was not asked about the Facebook posts in the deposition. Glueck testified during the deposition the county offers no sexual harassment prevention training other than what is in the employee handbook.

Former jail administrator Tina Kolwyck's lawsuit against the county and Sheriff Wes Drury alleges discrimination, sexual harassment and other workplace violations.

The lawsuit was filed last September.

The suit claims Drury violated the Missouri Human Rights Act by removing Kolwyck from her position as jail administrator and replacing her with a male deputy who had no experience in jail administration.

According to the suit, Kolwyck was demoted to bailiff in January 2017 after Drury took office as sheriff. Kolwyck stated in a deposition that she was discriminated against because of her gender.

Drury has claimed that, during the election campaign, county officials complained of problems at the jail, including an escape.

Drury, a friend of Glueck, has been accused of making inappropriate comments about women. The sheriff denied the accusations in a deposition, saying he has never told crude jokes or made sexist comments in the presence of women.

Kendra Eads, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, said social media posts that demean women contribute to a "rape culture."

Eads said "Rape culture is basically an environment where rape or sexual violence of women is prevalent."

It also is an environment where such actions are "normalized and excused through either popular culture or the media or individual social media," she said.

"So that sexual violence is normalized by perpetuating the use of that mysoginistic language," Eads said.

She said a combination of images found in ads and on social media creates a society that "disregards women's rights and women's safety."

Eads said an offensive Facebook post itself is not to blame for a rape.

But she said such posts, whether authored or shared, "have this general tone that women should be terrorized, or limited or degraded in some way."

Eads said when such posts are on the Facebook page of a public official, "everything gets amplified."

As a result, she said, "it is even more important that people like that set good standards, use appropriate language and be thoughtful."

NASV often works with law enforcement agencies to help interview victims of rape and abuse.

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