The community of Buffalo, New York and its Board of Education have demanded that Carl Paladino resign his position from the board due to racially insensitive remarks about Michelle Obama he made last week.
Paladino, a “wealthy builder and political ally of President-elect Donald J. Trump” according to The New York Times, had noted in a local newspaper’s survey that he hoped the First Lady would “return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.”
He also said he wished President Obama “would die of mad cow disease.”
An apology was offered earlier this week in which Paladino claims he meant to forward his comments to friends, but mistakenly hit “reply” instead. The remarks were “written to ‘vent and write deprecating humor about a bad president,’” he says.
The school board voted 6-2 in favor of a resolution calling for Paladino to step down.
Hope Jay, the board member who introduced the resolution, called his comments “unambiguously racist” and “morally repugnant.” Paulette Woods, another board member, said Mr. Paladino had violated the public school code of conduct and the state’s anti-bullying law, and if students behaved that way, they would be suspended. Ms. Woods called Mr. Paladino’s comments part of a “pattern of racist and negative behaviors.”
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After the vote, Mr. Paladino sent a statement by email saying, “The Board of Education’s action today is certainly not an illustration of a profile in courage or leadership.” He said that calls of condemnation from the board members and other elected officials were politically motivated, and signed off with, “It’s going to be a very combative year.”
Thursday’s resolution calls for Mr. Paladino to resign within 24 hours. If he declines, the board will file a petition with the state education commissioner, MaryEllen Elia, to have him removed. Ms. Elia would decide whether to do so after a hearing.
According to the board’s by laws, although Paladino was elected to his position, he indeed can be removed by Ms. Elia:
For cause shown, and after giving notice of the charge and opportunity of defense, the Commissioner of Education may remove any member of the Board of Education. Willful disobedience of any lawful requirement of the Commissioner of Education, or a want of due diligence in obeying such requirement or willful violation or neglect of duty, is cause for removal.
The question is, what requirement has Paladino disobeyed? According to board member Paulette Woods, he “violated the public school code of conduct and the state’s anti-bullying law.”
At least he didn’t call for something like the genocide of white people; if the board was like Drexel University it would back up his right to freedom of expression.
Maybe Paladino can try claiming he was just being “satirical.“
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