Man who called Whitney Houston N-word on Facebook resigns from youth baseball board
By Bob Rakow Sun-Times Media February 28, 2012 12:58AM
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 12: Singer Whitney Houston arrives at the 2011 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons Honoring David Geffen at Beverly Hilton on February 12, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Whitney Houston
Updated: March 29, 2012 8:17AM
The former president of Oak Lawn Westside Baseball, who earlier this month used the n-word to describe Whitney Houston on his Facebook page, has resigned from the league’s board after allegedly receiving death threats.
John Kelly stepped down as board president on Feb. 20 but planned to continue as a member. Instead, he resigned from the board Sunday. He said he changed his mind over the weekend after death threats were posted on the league website’s guest book section and on other sites. Kelly claims he also received numerous emails and text messages that contained threats against him and his family.
“I just told [the board], I don’t need any threats. I don’t need my family getting any threats,” Kelly said Monday. “I can’t deal with it anymore. I’m here to volunteer to help kids, and this is the [expletive] I have to go through.”
Kelly said he was not pressured by the league to resign.
“I chose it on my own,” he said.
Acting president Jim Hebel is the league’s new president. Hebel could not be reached for comment.
Kelly has been banned from managing a team for one year but said he might volunteer in the league in other ways.
On his Facebook page, Kelly complained about the media’s coverage of Houston’s death. She was found dead Feb. 11 in a hotel room bathroom. A cause of death has not been determined, but Houston struggled with drug abuse, and Kelly thought the media was glorifying her. Kelly said the singer should not be a role model for children.
His post read, in part, “I’m so sick of reading about this dumb stupid N----- Whitney Houston.”
Kelly said his Facebook page is restricted to adult friends and family, but a mother of a former Westside player re-posted his comment on her Facebook page as well as on the league’s page.
The woman, who asked not to be identified, said she posted Kelly’s remark so other parents would know about it. She said last week that she was disappointed that the board did not immediately call for Kelly’s removal from the board.
