CLAY, W.Va. — The mayor of a tiny town in West Virginia has resigned amid a firestorm over racist comments about Michelle Obama, according to the town recorder.
Clay Mayor Beverly Whaling, who had commented approvingly on a Facebook post comparing the first lady to an ape, turned in her letter of resignation Tuesday. Joe Coleman, the town recorder, said Whaling’s resignation was effective immediately, according to the AP.
The mayor’s resignation came one day after the director of a local, government-funded nonprofit was removed from her position over her Facebook post.
After Donald Trump’s election as president, Pamela Ramsey Taylor, director of the Clay County Development Corp., took to Facebook to comment on the upcoming shift from Obama to Melania Trump, writing: “It will be so refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady back in the White House.”
She added: “I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”
NBC affiliate WSAZ reported that Whaling, the mayor, then replied, “Just made my day Pam.”
The comments were later deleted — and both women’s Facebook pages were eventually removed, according to local reports — but images of Taylor’s post and the mayor’s response had already gone viral.
Taylor told ABC affiliate WCHS that she was put on leave; but a representative of Clay County Development Corp., a nonprofit that receives state and federal money, said Monday that the board “removed” Taylor from her position as director and appointed Leslie McGlothlin to take her place.
When asked by The Post how to contact Taylor, the nonprofit representative said he did not know because Taylor no longer worked there.
Joshua Shamblin, a former council member, said Tuesday that “the county is sorry that this has been placed upon everyone instead of just the few who made hurtful remarks.”
He added that local officials were “shocked” by the incident but were prepared to move forward.
The mayor’s resignation followed intense criticism, with more than 150,000 people signing an online petition calling for the mayor’s termination.
Whaling apologized in a statement sent Monday to The Washington Post, writing: “My comment was not intended to be racist at all. 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 of any way racist! Again, I would like to apologize for this getting out of hand!”
