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A26 u.s. news
Diamars 11 OctOber 2022

Los Angeles Council president resigns after racist remarks

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The president of the Los
Angeles City Council re-
signed from the post Mon-
day after she was heard
making racist comments
and other coarse remarks
in a leaked recording of a
conversation with other
Latino leaders.

Council President Nury
Martinez issued an apology
and expressed shame.

“In the end, it is not my apol-
ogies that matter most; it will
be the actions I take from this
day forward. I hope that you
will give me the opportunity
to make amends,” she said
in a statement. “Therefore,
effective immediately I am
resigning as President of the
Los Angeles City Council.”

The statement did not say
she would resign her council
seat. There was no immediate
response to a call and email
sent to her spokesperson.

Martinez said in the record-
ed conversation that white
Councilmember Mike Bonin Kevin de León and Los An- perience as the proud daugh- enous people and Angelenos
handled his young Black son geles County Federation of ter of working-class immi- De León said in a statement who have put their faith in
as if he were an “accessory” Labor President Ron Her- grants,” was elected to the that the comments were in- their local government.”
and described the son as be- rera, the Times reported. The council in 2013 and became appropriate.
having “Parece changuito,” overall discussion was about the council’s first Latina pres- Councilmembers Curren
or “like a monkey,” the Los frustrations with redistrict- ident in 2020. “I regret appearing to con- Price, Heather Hutt and
Angeles Times reported Sun- ing maps produced by a city done and even contribute to Marqueece Harris-Dawson
day. commission. De León, a former state leg- certain insensitive comments said that a “facade” had come
islator, referred at one point made about a colleague and crashing down.
Martinez also referred to Bo- The Times reported that the in the conversation to Bonin his family in private,” he said.
nin as a “little bitch” and at approximately hourlong au- as the council’s “fourth Black “I’ve reached out to that col- Shockwaves roiled the may-
another point mocked Oaxa- dio was posted on Reddit by member.” league personally.” oral race.
cans, the Times said. a now-suspended user, and
that it was unclear who re- “Mike Bonin won’t f—-ing Cedillo issued a statement of Martinez had endorsed U.S.
“I see a lot of little short dark corded the audio and wheth- ever say peep about Latinos. apology Monday. Rep. Karen Bass, who is seek-
people,” Martinez said in ref- er anyone else was present at He’ll never say a f—-ing ing to become the first Black
erence to a particular area of the meeting. word about us,” he said. “While I did not engage in woman to lead the nation’s
the largely Hispanic Kore- the conversation in question, second-most populous city.
atown neighborhood. Martinez initially issued an During the part in which I was present at times dur-
apology after the Times ar- Martinez likened Bonin’s son ing this meeting last year,” he “Let me be clear about what
“I was like, I don’t know ticle appeared online. to an “accessory,” De León said. “It is my instinct to hold was on those tapes: appalling,
where these people are from, appeared to compare Bo- others accountable when anti-Black racism,” Bass said
I don’t know what village they “In a moment of intense nin’s handling of the child to they use derogatory or racial- in a statement.
came (from), how they got frustration and anger, I let the “when Nury brings her Go- ly divisive language. Clearly, I
here,” Martinez said, adding situation get the best of me yard bag or the Louis Vuitton should have intervened.” “All those in the room must
“Tan feos” — “They’re ugly.” and I hold myself account- bag.” be held accountable, and
able for these comments. For Herrera, the labor official, I’ve spent the day speaking
The recording’s content that I am sorry,” she said. “Su negrito, like on the side,” said in an apology that there with Black and Latino lead-
rocked the political establish- Martinez responded. is “no excuse for the vile re- ers about how to ensure this
ment just weeks before elec- “The context of this con- marks made in that room,” doesn’t divide our city,” Bass
tions for the mayor’s office versation was concern over Bonin’s son came up in a and that he “didn’t step up added.
and several council seats. the redistricting process and tangent of the conversation to stop them,” the Times re-
concern about the potential in which Martinez suggested ported. Her opponent, billionaire
Bonin and his husband, Sean negative impact it might have the child misbehaved while developer Rick Caruso, said
Arian, had issued a statement on communities of color,” they were riding on a float in In their statement, Bonin and it was a “heartbreaking day
calling for the resignations she said. “My work speaks a Martin Luther King Jr. Day his husband said Martinez for our proud, diverse city,”
of Martinez and two other for itself. I’ve worked hard to parade, the Times said. was unfit for public office. and he called for all three
council members who were lead this city through its most involved to resign from the
involved. difficult time.” “They’re raising him like Three Black members of the council.
a little white kid,” Marti- council issued a joint state-
The conversation was re- Martinez, whose district nez said. “I was like, this kid ment saying it was “a very “Now, we must unite and
corded in October 2021, and website describes her as “a needs a beatdown. Let me dark day in LA politics for strongly repudiate what was
others present were Coun- glass-ceiling shattering leader take him around the corner African-Americans, the LG- said,” Caruso said in a state-
cilmembers Gil Cedillo and who brings profound life ex- and then I’ll bring him back.” BTQ+ community, Indig- ment.