Eric Barber: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

eric barber

City of Parkersburg Parkersburg, West Virginia City Council member Eric Barber

Eric Barber is a member of the Parkersburg, West Virginia, city council. He has been criticized for a remark he made on Facebook about the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

He wrote to a private group, “Better get you’re coat hangers ready, liberals.” The post has since been deleted, but screen shots have been shared online.

Here’s what you need to know.


1. Barber Claimed the Comment Stemmed From an Incident in July When a Protester Threw a Coat Hanger at Him

Eric Barber reportedly wrote the comment upon hearing the news that West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, was voting to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. He wrote the remark in a private group, but deleted it it prompted backlash.

Critics jumped on the fact that coat hangers are often referenced in connection to dangerous back-alley abortions. One of the chief concerns of Kavanaugh opponents is that he could potentially overturn abortion rights.

Barber stated that he did not mean the comment the way in it was perceived. In July, he was in Washington, D.C. when President Trump first nominated Brett Kavanaugh. Outside the Supreme Court building, protesters on both sides of the abortion debate were demonstrating. Barber said one of the women threw a coat hanger at him.


2. Eric Barber Apologized for the Facebook Post & Acknowledged it Was ‘Insensitive,’ But the Remark Has Triggered Severe Backlash From Both City Leaders & Community Members

Barber has apologized for the Facebook post. He stressed that he had not meant to reference unsafe abortion practices.

He acknowledged that it “was poorly worded and insensitive at best,” according to the Parkersburg News & Sentinel. The newspaper also reported that Barber has received death threats and a lot of angry mail since making the coat hanger comment.

Two of the people that have criticized Barber for his post include the mayor of Parkersburg and fellow city council member Sharon Kuhl. Kuhl referred to Barber’s remark as a “distraction” and insisted that her colleague does not represent the entire council. Mayor Tom Joyce told the Parkersburg News, that spoke with Barber and “tried to convey my serious displeasure with his boorish and inflammatory behavior. On numerous occasions, I’ve implored him to stop using social media as a mechanism for incendiary, divisive rhetoric and focus on serving those who live in his district and work in our community.”

Parkersburg resident Eric Engle was one of the people to share a screen shot of the post. In the caption, he called Barber a “worthless piece of human garbage.” The post has been shared nearly 700 times. The majority of the comments were critical of Barber.


3. Barber Has Been Actively Supporting a Ballot Issue in West Virginia That Would Severely Restrict Access to Abortions in the State

Eric Barber is a strong proponent of Issue 1, which is on the statewide ballot for November 6. The state government is asking voters to decide whether the following language should be added to the Constitution: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of abortion.”

If passed, abortions would not longer be covered by Medicaid. Opponents have said the change would most directly impact poorer families in the state. The American Civil Liberties Union has called the proposed amendment an attack on reproductive rights. The coalition against the amendment includes the following language: “We believe decisions about pregnancy and parenting should be left to a woman, her family, her faith and her provider. Let’s leave it up to West Virginia families – not the government – to decide what medical decisions are best for us.”


4. Eric Barber Has a Lengthy Arrest Record & There Was a Petition in 2017 to Remove Him From City Council After He Was Arrested for Disorderly Conduct


In 2017, a petition was launched on Change.org to remove Barber from the Parkersburg city council. It has attracted additional signatures in the wake of his coat hanger comment on Facebook. The person who started the petition is anonymous but wrote that Barber should be held “accountable” for his “unethical” behavior.

The behavior referenced on the petition was an arrest in July of 2017. Eric Barber was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and obstruction. WOVA-Fox in Parkersburg reported that Barber had tried to take a photo of someone with a medical emergency and was allegedly yelling curse words at the person. He was also accused of ignoring police commands. In December, Barber pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Wood County Magistrate Court. The obstruction charge was dismissed.

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reports that Barber has a long list of former legal troubles. In 1999, he pleaded guilty to breaking and entering. He was sentenced to 2-10 years behind bars but it was not clear when he was released. In 2003, he was arrested again and pleaded guilty to DUI, possession of a controlled substance and trying to escape from police. The newspaper found that Barber’s parole was revoked in May of 2003 and he was returned to jail. T

Barber was arrested for driving under the influence in 2012 and pleaded guilty. That same year, he was charged with marijuana possession. In 2013, a warrant was issued for his arrest for failing to appear in court in connection to the marijuana charge.


5. Eric Barber Was Elected to the Parkersburg City Council in 2016 as a Democrat But Has Since Left the Party

Eric Barber is not currently affiliated with a political party. He was elected to the Parkersburg City Council as a Democrat in 2016. But he dropped his Democrat status the following year over what he viewed as “anti-Christian rhetoric.”

Barber disagreed with Wood County Executive Committee chairman Daryl Cobranchi about an ordinance that was meant to fight discrimination. The ordinance in question would have made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information and veteran status.

The proposal was rejected 6-3 by the city council. Cobranchi said the three members who voted against the ordinance did so for religious reasons. He reportedly said during a meeting, “For far too long, this council has acted as if the only people whose opinions matter are conservative Christians.” But he denied Barber’s claim that the Democratic party in Wood County as anti-Christian.

Barber also disagreed with a decision that the City Council stop praying before meetings, after the Freedom from Religion Foundation argued it was inappropriate.

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