A former porn star is looking for a new role as a school board member in Palm Beach County. David Mech, once known as Dave Pounder in the adult industry, qualified for the school board’s District 3 seat and one of the things he wants to modernize in schools is sexual education.
“If you don’t agree condoms should be available to high school students to reduce teen pregnancy and STD’s, then don’t vote for me,” Mech said Tuesday.
Mech holds two doctorate degrees and runs the Happy/Fun Math Tutor company. Mech’s website says he’s focused on five main issues affecting the school board including: technology, innovation, equality, sex education, and secular values.
Mech acted in more than 100 adult films along with producing and directing them, but he says his former career has nothing to do with his current career as a math tutor, or the career he hopes to have soon.
Despite his title as 'porn star', he says he still is a good role model - it just depends on your definition of the word.
“If you’re going to use the role model argument, you’d also have to fire teachers who are overweight, teachers who don’t eat proper nutrition,” Mech said. “We know tobacco use is associated with many different diseases; are we going to fire all teachers who smoke?”
Along with another candidate, John Michael Hartman, Mech is challenging incumbent board member Karen Brill. Brill made headlines earlier this year with a short-lived proposal to enforce a dress code for parents on school property.
Mech was in the news last year after he sued the school district after signs for his tutoring business were removed from schools.
According to this lawsuit from last year, the district removed Mech's math tutoring advertisements from outside schools because his name is a link to the adult entertainment industry.
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He is also fighting to get a law passed that will protect employees from discrimination based on legal off-duty conduct... something that may affect his school board run.
"Look at my background. I'm completely non-violent. I have perfect credit. I own property. I pay taxes. I am a business owner. I employee people. I volunteer at the animal shelter. I've taught math at college," Mech said. "What more do you want than people trying to socially sanction me for lawful conduct that doesn't hurt anybody?"
