This season of The Bachelorette looked promisingly woke: the franchise introduced its first Black Bachelorette and cast a more diverse pool of contestants than ever before. But Southern boy Lee Garrett—who is still fighting 21 other dudes for Rachel Lindsay’s love—seems to have super-racist views.

In recently exposed tweets, 30-year-old Garrett allegedly wrote that he doesn’t “hate Muslims” but does “hate Islam,” and retweeted an article that said, “Thousands sign petition to recognize #blacklivesmatter as terrorist group after Dallas.” He also apparently tweeted, “What’s the difference between the NAACP and the KKK? Wait for it…..one has the sense of shame to cover their racist ass faces.” Who let his guy on air?!

In screenshots taken from a now-protected account, tweets from 2015 and 2016 reflect racist, sexist and homophobic sentiments. “If you put the color of a person’s skin above the quality of work of any other, you are a racist,” one tweet said. In another, the @Leegarrett_ account tweeted, “Guys… When is the last time YOU actually saw a pretty feminist? There is a reason for this.”

Before the season of the reality dating show even aired, International Business Times wrote about Garrett’s problematic social media account and his offensive views. The producers of The Bachelorette hardcore screen all contestants before putting them on air, meaning they definitely likely knew what a tool Garrett is. It’s super disappointing to think the show planted a racist on a season that finally included some POC. Using racism for ratings is disgusting, and makes us feel for the woman who has to deal with it: Rachel.

If the franchise wants to be truly “woke,” they shouldn’t give racist/sexist/Islamophobic folks a televised platform. The show has the opportunity to engage in a conversation about acceptance and interracial relationships. Instead, they cast someone who apparently thinks Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization. While Lindsay or ABC have yet to comment on the controversy, we hope Garrett packs his bags of bigotry and goes home real soon.

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