ABC’s modern family Actor Ed O’Neal says he plans to return his honorary doctorate to Youngstown State University in protest of the school’s hiring of former Republican Rep. Bill Johnson as its new president.
“I was very disappointed when I heard about this decision,” O’Neill said. Said MSNBC. “He’s a polarizing person and an election denier. He’s not a big fan of the gay community. He’s anti-choice. He’s just a polarizing far-right fanatic.”
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O’Neill, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, also criticized Johnson’s support for former President Donald Trump after the 45th president’s indictment, calling him “crazy.”
When asked in 2013, “What do you plan to do with the honorary degree?” married with children The actor said, “Well, I’m looking at it right now. It’s on my wall. I was actually very proud to get it because I graduated from Youngstown State University. Because there is none.”
“When I received my honorary doctorate, I used to say to my children, ‘Please call me doctor,’ and I said, ‘I’m a doctor, a real doctor.’ I was very proud, but… I can’t keep defending it. It doesn’t mean anything to me now,” O’Neill added.
The actor went on to say that Youngstown State’s hiring of Johnson is “a slap in the face to all of us.”
“And I can’t get one,” O’Neill said of the honorary degree. “I’ll give it back.”
But Mike Peterson, chairman of the university’s board of trustees, Said He believes Johnson is “forward-thinking and invested in YSU’s future.”
“He understands the vision of our strategic plan,” Peterson said. “From the beginning of this presidential selection process, we have sought candidates with the qualities we want in our next president.”
“Our chancellors must delegate, be team builders, avoid micromanaging, be successful in fundraising, and understand the challenges we face in higher education in general and Ohio State in particular,” Peterson said. added. “Bill Johnson has met and exceeded his expectations.”
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