A nonprofit group director and a mayor in a small town in West Virginia have been swept up in a firestorm surrounding comments made about Michelle Obama which have been perceived as blatantly racist.
Following Donald Trump’s presidential election, Pamela Ramsey Taylor, who was director of Clay County Development Corp. in Clay, a tiny town outside Charleston, reportedly posted about the move from Michelle Obama to Melania Trump on Facebook, saying, “It will be so refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady back in the White House. I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels,” according to NBC affiliate WSAZ.
The news station reported that town’s mayor, Beverly Whaling, then replied: “Just made my day Pam.”
The comments were later deleted, but images of the post have been shared widely on social media. As of Monday afternoon, an online petition calling for the women’s terminations has garnered more than 14,000 signatures.
Both of their Facebook pages have now also been removed, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
Two-tenths of a percent of Clay County’s residents are African American, according to U.S. Census data. More than three-quarters of the presidential votes cast in the county went to Trump.
The two women have apologized for their controversial remarks.
“My comment was not intended to be racist at all,” Whaling said in a statement to The Washington Post. “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!”
Taylor could not be reached for comment, but WSAZ reported that she issued an apology on Facebook.
However, Taylor told the news station that the public response had become a “hate crime against me,” explaining that she and her children received death threats. She said she is planning to file a lawsuit against people who have slandered and/or libeled her, according to the news station.
A representative at Clay County Development Corp., a nonprofit funded with state and federal money, said the board has “removed” Taylor from her position as director and appointed Leslie McGlothlin to take her place. McGlothlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Clay Town Councilman Jason Hubbard told the Charleston Gazette-Mail that the town will address the incident at a council meeting Tuesday night.