The following article contains Nazi-related images and anti-Semitic language.
In February, the Little Miami Board of Education voted 4-1 to remove a “Hate Has No Home Here” poster for its presence of LGBTQ+ and trans Pride symbols. The loudest voice for the recall at the meeting was newly elected board member Dan Smith.
The Buckeye Flame reviewed Smith’s social media and found that he had written numerous anti-Semitic posts on Threads, reposted anti-Semitic videos, and followed Instagram accounts sympathetic to Nazis and their views. His Facebook, Instagram and Threads accounts employ the same username, @danmakgow. The Flame further confirmed his identity by linking to profile photos and a Threads entry that referenced places where he lived.
After The Buckeye Flame sent Smith detailed questions about his employ of social media on Monday, he resigned from the Board of Education on Tuesday. In his statement, he specifically referred to “a recent comment regarding posts from my personal social media accounts.” Smith expressed regret for the posts and said he did not believe in anti-Semitism.
“Some of these posts were incorrect, inaccurate and written without care, and in their opinion it was believed that a person holding a public office should perform his duties,” he said. “I want to make clear that these posts do not accurately reflect my beliefs or respect for all members of our community. I reject anti-Semitism and hatred in all forms and take responsibility for the impact my words have had.”
According to bio on the Little Miami School District websiteSmith was a police officer at Xavier University and was later employed at the police department in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He also worked as a private investigator in Tennessee while writing a conservative column for the Mountain Press newspaper.
While running for the Little Miami Board of Education, he campaigned with fellow conservative Mandy Bullock. Both measures were supported by the Warren County Republican Party, according to the party website. It is unclear whether the party or Bullock ever reviewed the content of Smith’s social media accounts before endorsing his election bid.
“What was wrong with Nazism?”
Many of his posts on Threads are anti-Israel, but not because he opposes Israeli policies. He believes that Israel was the “promised land” of Christianity before “[Jews] sinned,” and according to the Bible, Jews no longer exist, according to many posts. This belief is also expressed through his employ of Facebook profile photos of the Knights Templar, a Catholic military order busy since the Middle Ages, which has existed since co-opted by the alt-right.
Smith followed an Instagram account called @jew_reality. The profile picture of the deleted account is an anti-Semitic meme called “The Happy Merchant”, a cartoon BuzzFeed News Article was probably “the most widely viewed anti-Semitic image in history.”
Another Instagram account Smith follows is @reich.archive1939. This is one of many accounts he follows that purport to cover post-World War II history. Upon closer inspection, the posts are all about Nazi Germany, with some of them seemingly sympathetic to the totalitarian and genocidal regime.
Three weeks before the November 2025 elections, a post on Threads mentioned the Holocaust. Smith replied, “What holocaust?”
After he was sworn in as a school board member in January, a user posted a sardonic meme on Threads using a photo of Adolf Hitler with the caption: “I will make Germany great again.” Smith replied, “And he did!” Earlier this month, he replied to a now-deleted post: “What was wrong with Nazism?”
Uses words like “juice” instead of “Jews” to bypass Meta’s automatic review.
“People who are not on [Jews’] wages know that the US fought on the wrong side [World War 2]”, Smith posted to Threads on November 28, after being elected to the Little Miami Board of Education. In December, he wrote: “[Jewish] “History is damaging to European culture.”
One account wrote: “Islam has no place in Western society.” Smith replied, “[nor] Is there room for [Jews’] religion.”
Other posts show Smith using the term “gay” as a pejorative, calling Democrats “Stalinists” and opposing defending Ukraine from a Russian invasion. A November post on Threads said: “We stand with President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people.”
Smith replied, “Then stick with him.”
He also followed an account on Instagram called @blood.mercy_. The account posted up-to-the-minute videos, including one video showing a man on a motorcycle riding with up to two people and repeatedly shooting one of them with a gun.
On the same Instagram account, he follows the LGBTQ+ club and students associated with Little Miami.
Before the February vote to remove the “No Place for Hate” poster, Smith said during a discussion that the poster encouraged students to hate Christians “because we don’t agree with that lifestyle.” The day after Christmas, he took to the Internet to deny the existence of the Holocaust.
Mr. Smith is going to Little Miami
Dan Smith announced on his personal Facebook account that he would run for the Little Miami Board of Education last March.
After the March regular meeting, he said he was “embarrassed by the speakers’ displays of hate” during public comments. Speakers criticized current board president Dave Wallace for suing community members, his own board and the superintendent, accusing them of defamatory Facebook posts.
At the end of the public comment portion, one speaker came to the podium to explain how Wallace and his wife allegedly called her a pedophile online (without directly mentioning Wallace’s name). Wallace interjected and announced that public comments were over before the speaker could finish.
Smith said the comments were hateful and false accusations were “hurled” at Wallace.
“The wokers reached a new level when they verbally attacked a board member’s wife who was sitting in the audience,” Smith said. “If elected in November, I plan to correct bullying and false minority status to actually make learning a place where students are not bombarded with distractions from others who are not there to learn but will pursue an agenda that is inconsistent with academics.”
There were two vacancies for the school board. He campaigned with another conservative candidate, Mandy Bullock. Their campaign was endorsed by the Warren County Republican Party.
Buckeye Flame has contacted the Warren County Republican Party multiple times and has received no response. Bullock did not respond to a request for comment. It is unclear whether GOP leaders and Bullock checked Smith’s social media before deciding to support Smith. The Flame also asked Little Miami curator Regina Morgan for comment, but she did not respond.
Board member Wayne Siebert didn’t know much about Smith, he said in an email to Flame.
“He would never give an interview to voters before the election [November] elections,” Siebert said.
‘More internet trolls than political leaders’
The way social media operates has radicalized public officials, said Maria Bruno, executive director of the nonprofit organization Ohioans against extremism. Addictive platforms and AI-generated content “impair their discernment in identifying what is real and what is fabricated.”
“I have seen firsthand the slow slide of some lawmakers towards becoming more of an internet troll than a political leader,” Bruno said. “As an observer, you can’t help but feel frustrated as your elected officials are shamelessly addicted to online sloppiness and unbridled bullying.”
These extremist beliefs influence students and teachers, said Natalie Hastings, a researcher and organizer with an organization advocating for public schools: Fairness for Education in Ohio. In some districts, the chilling effect has caused students to disband LGBTQ+ student organizations.
“Where teachers and staff are dealing with members with extremist beliefs, they try to keep their head down, do their job and not make waves. Sometimes teachers of color or LGBTQ+ teachers move to other districts they feel are safer,” Hastings said. “Students may miss opportunities to discuss current issues because they fear the discussions may arouse suspicion among extremist board members or their allies.”
She said that since 2021, some school officials have been using social media to spread misinformation and distrust of teachers and staff. However, in the last election, most candidates who campaigned on culture war issues lost in Ohio.
“Many community members are aware of real issues affecting our schools, such as state funding,” Hastings said. “I would like to think [far-right candidates] they have peaked, but where they escalate, they are still quite harmful.” 🔥
START ACTION
- The next regular meeting of the Little Miami Board of Education is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25. More information can be found Here.
- If you are a youthful LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact Trevor’s project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are a transgender adult in need of immediate lend a hand, please contact National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
