Nuri Martinez resigned from the Los Angeles City Council after racist remarks were revealed

Nuri Martinez announced her resignation from the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday after leaked audio revealed her and several colleagues making racist and crude remarks during a taped conversation last year.

Calls for elected leaders to step down began piling up Monday after the Los Angeles Times published portions of the conversation in which Martinez, then council president, said her colleague Mike Bonin flaunted her black son as an “accessory ” and describing the child as “parece changuito,” or “like a monkey” ― playing into a racist stereotype.

She resigned from her presidency shortly after the audio was released and apologized to Bonin and his family. Then she announced that she was taking a leave of absence.

Others implicated in the scandal include City Council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, who are on record as either agreeing with Martinez or not challenging her remarks. Herrera has since resigned.

Among those calling for their resignations were Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, leaders of the California Democratic Party and members of Congress from California.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Link to the source

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *