Vic Ryckaert

The Indianapolis Star

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Sen. Jack E. Sandlin is facing a social media backlash for a Facebook post that called the masses gathered for last weekend's Women's March "fat women out walking."

Sandlin, a Republican who represents 36th District voters who live between 10th Street and south of Greenwood in Johnson County, took down the message but not before screenshots had been widely shared on Facebook and Twitter.

The post in question went up Sunday and showed a photo of a mass of protesters, many in pink hats and carrying signs, with the words "In one day Trump got more fat women out walking than Michelle Obama did in 8 years."

Sandlin, a rookie senator, deleted the photo and posted a new message about midnight Monday.

"Apparently there is an offensive post on Facebook that's attributed to me about women in Washington marching," Sandlin wrote. "Not sure how that ended up on my Facebook wall but that certainly does not reflect my opinion of women. People who know me will know that's not my view."

Sandlin's explanation post had more than 950 comments by 7 a.m.

In an interview with IndyStar, Sandlin said he spent the weekend in Washington for the inauguration. He spent most of Sunday traveling.

He said deleted the post shortly after someone alerted him to it at about 11:30 p.m.

He said he believes someone else posted the message to his Facebook wall.

"I don't believe that I put it there," Sandlin said. "There's always an outside chance that I could have hit something. I know others that have had stuff show up on their Facebook wall as well."

Sandlin served six years on the Indianapolis City-County Council before he was elected to the state senate in November.

Sandlin served 20 years with the Indianapolis Police Department, rising to the rank of deputy chief when he left in 1993, according to a biography on his campaign website.

In 1995, he retired as a Southport police lieutenant and now operates a private investigation agency, Jack Sandlin and Associates.