A Buffalo, New York school board official who happens to be co-chairman of Donald Trump’s New York presidential campaign is being forced to resign after making disparaging remarks President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Among comments, millionaire developer Carl Paladino said he hoped Obama would die of mad cow disease and that Mrs. Obama would live with a gorilla in Africa.
“I’d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla,” Paladino said.
The comment was in response a question about what he’d like to see most in the new year. Paladino continued:
“Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Herford. He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarret, who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her.”
In a special meeting Thursday, the Buffalo school board voted 6-2 to call for Paladino to step down within 24 hours or be removed by the state education commissioner.
The meeting was packed with those angered by his incendiary comments about the first couple.
#BREAKING resolution calling for @CarlPaladino to resign from the @Buffalo_Schools BOE in 24 hours passes 6-2 @WGRZ pic.twitter.com/8T6an1ukCG
— Jeff Preval (@PrevalWGRZ) December 29, 2016
The woman in the video below spoke out at the meeting, telling Mr. Paladino that “words matter” and that his words reduced “intelligent, accomplished, beautiful people” to “depraved individuals, criminals, frauds, gorillas and more.” She asks, how can children of color “continue to soar when a sitting school board member shows such contempt for their role models.”
This woman let Carl Paladino have it at the School Board hearing https://t.co/kqj07emcay via @YouTube
— matthew charlton (@mateofeo0) December 30, 2016
Woman screams at Patty Pierce, walks out during her statement regarding @CarlPaladino @WGRZ pic.twitter.com/ZtNaHM57pN
— Jeff Preval (@PrevalWGRZ) December 29, 2016
Meantime, days before the vote, Paladino served up an apology:
“I never intended to hurt the minority community who I spent years trying to help out of the cycle of poverty in our inner cities,” Paladino wrote in a 12-paragraph note emailed to supporters. “To them I apologize.”
He went on to say that he only intended to share the comments with friends but hit “reply” instead of “forward” on an email, sending his remarks to ArtVoice by mistake. The apology included an attack on his critics, to include, “parasites we now call progressive activist progressives” and the media.
“For the mean-spirited, disoriented press trying to find grounding and recover legitimacy on my back, pray that you still have a job next year because you have lost all credibility with the people,” Paladino wrote.
Group blocking lone @CarlPaladino supporter who is attempting to hold up a sign. pic.twitter.com/bbCXhAB3tD
— Rochelle Alleyne (@RochelleAlleyne) December 29, 2016
(AURN)
