Texas College Republican Chair Resigns After Gay Slur

Charlie McCaslin, chairman of the Texas College Republicans, resigned Thursday after a video was made public in which he toasted a candidate for chairman of the College Republican National Committee, using homophobic slurs and making offensive comments about women.

The video was taped last weekend at an after-party at the Texas College Republicans Convention in Austin. Following an endorsement for Alex Schriver, the National College Republicans vice chairman who is vying for the top spot, McCaslin described a drunken sexual escapade at a party he and Schriver attended, then referred to supporters of Schriver's rival, Jonathon Snyder, as "nerds" and "fags." At the end of speech, Schriver is believed to heard responding to the toast. "To Charlie!" he reportedly says.

The race for the National College Republicans chairman spot between Schriver and Snyder has been a heated one, and the video was purportedly posted online by Snyder's supporters. "No apology or explanation can make this reprehensible behavior acceptable," Snyder said in a statement. "Having a chairman who is willing to accept and then toast degrading remarks about women, homophobic slurs, and juvenile behavior against anyone is unacceptable."

Schriver was the first to respond to the scandal. In an e-mail, he labeled McCaslin's comments "inappropriate and highly offensive," and said he regretted putting himself in a situation in which "it is possible that some could incorrectly interpret my actions to be supportive."

McCaslin then announced his resignation on Facebook, saying, "The mistakes I have made have put my colleagues, friends, and school in harm's way, and they do not deserve to be part of such a bitter cycle."

The president of the College Republicans at Southern Methodist University, where McCaslin is a junior, also spoke out. "Neither myself nor SMU College Republicans agree with or support Charlie's comments about women and members of the gay community, and we condemn those statements as offensive and wrong," the campus newspaper quoted Chad Cohen as saying. "He was speaking for himself as an individual, and for no one else."

The Texas College Republicans have also disavowed McCaslin's remarks.

Read the full story and see the video here.