The Hill News

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) expressed regret on Thursday over the firing of Shirley Sherrod as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official. 

Boehner expressed sympathy for Sherrod, who was fired and then offered a new job with the USDA, in a racially-tinged incident that’s sparked a national conversation.

“I just think the whole episode is unfortunate,” Boehner said at his weekly press conference. “I think she’s been through hell and back.”

Sherrod, who is black, was fired after an edited video surfaced suggesting that she had deliberately denied aid to a white farmer. The full version of the video showed that she was, instead, speaking about overcoming racial prejudice. 

Boehner said he hopes that Sherrod would get a new job back with the USDA, as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said he’s offered. 

The House GOP leader refrained from jabbing directly at the Obama administration over the incident, instead opting to express regret toward the overall situation. 

“This is not a way to treat a fellow American,” he said.