The National FFA Organization has removed Lyle Logemann, the organization’s western region vice president, from its national officer team after the emergence of “concerning” social media posts.
Earlier this week, members and staff of the organization discovered social media posts — confirmed to be from Logemann's accounts — that were critical of race, religion, and immigration.
The organization announced the move in a Facebook post June 4 after Logemann's posts, which were made prior to his election as a national officer, emerged and drew heavy scrutiny from FFA members and stakeholders online. Logemann will not be replaced on the team, and FFA will continue with five national officers until a new team is elected at the group’s annual convention in October.
“As an organization, we are troubled by this situation,” FFA’s post noted. “We have failed in the vetting process for national FFA officer candidates and failed in the preparation of Nominating Committee members for the important work they conduct. We simply must improve.”
Logemann is an agricultural education major at Eastern New Mexico University and served as the 2018-2019 New Mexico State FFA Secretary prior to his time as a national officer. The organization’s statement says Logemann “understands and is remorseful that he has offended many individuals and violated the code of conduct for FFA members and national officers.”
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In the future, FFA says all national officer candidates, which are submitted by state FFA associations for consideration for six national office spots, will "be subject to thorough background checks, including vetting of their social media activities by external professional firms.”
“We intend to provide more about our plans and concrete objectives regarding inclusion, diversity and equity, while continuing to seek counsel from professionals who will help us become an even more welcoming place for young people from all walks of life. Our members should expect nothing less. And neither do we.”
To read the statement, visit the National FFA Organization Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nationalffa .
Spencer Chase was a member of the National FFA Organization and previously served as a South Dakota FFA officer. He also assisted in the selection process that led to the election of the 2019-2020 National FFA officer team. For questions about the nature of Chase’s involvement, he can be reached spencer@agri-pulse.com .
