Roanoke mayor under fire for Facebook post diminishing girls basketball playoff win

ROANOKE, Va. – Mayor Sherman Lea said he meant it as a joke, but is currently receiving criticism for a recent Facebook comment.

Their excitement quickly turned to disappointment after the Patrick Henry girls’ basketball team won the Zone 5D championship on Monday night.

Head coach of the team, Mike Hedrick, posted on Facebook about the big win, which Lea answered:

“Notice that not many good Basketball programs in the state play at Richmond.City schools. Because of Covid 19. Everything earned this year needs an asterisk. President Lea. “

On Tuesday, Lea told 10 News that she saw Hedrick as a good friend and thought she was sending him a private message.

“I thought it was a joke to talk to Mike, I didn’t send it to him, admitting it would spread all over Facebook,” said Lea. “But I apologize to him and then I will apologize to the team because I’m a big supporter of athletics in this city.”

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“I wish there were no comments, but it was, and now it is a learning experience for everyone, this is for me, this is for my team, this is for everyone involved,” said Hedrick.

He also said that he and the mayor had a private meeting since his tenure.

Lea stressed that his comments were a reflection of himself and not the rest of the Roanoke City Council, and the city spokesman added that this was a personal matter for the mayor, not official city business.

The Patrick Henry girls have said they will use this as fuel for their next match against Potomac Falls on Wednesday, the state semi-final.