West Virginia mayor resigns after racist Michelle Obama Facebook post

Forum 7 years ago

West Virginia mayor resigns after racist Michelle Obama Facebook post

The mayor of Clay, West Virginia, Mayor Beverly Whaling , who left a comment on a Facebook post has resigned and another county official is out following their exchange over a racist Facebook post that compared first lady Michelle Obama to an "ape in heels."

The county employee, Pamela Taylor, who worked as director of the Clay County Development Corporation has since been suspended.

After Pam wrote:
"It will be so refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady back in the White House. I'm tired of seeing a (sic) Ape in heels,"Mayor Beverly Whaling commented on the post saying: "Just made my day Pam," according to a screengrab obtained by CNN affiliate WSJZ
Clay County Commissioner Greg Fitzwater confirmed to CNN that Whaling has since resigned, but that he did not know if Taylor was terminated or if she resigned her post because she no longer worked for the county.

The Clay Town Council accepted Mayor Beverly Whaling's resignation in a meeting late Tuesday afternoon and said it would act quickly to name a replacement for the remaining three years of her term.

Whaling early Tuesday, issued a written apology to news media outlets saying her comment wasn't intended to be racist. She said:

"I was referring to my day being made for change in the White House! I am truly sorry for any hard feeling this may have caused! Those who know me know that I'm not in any way racist!"