BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The board of Buffalo Public Schools voted Thursday to approve a resolution calling for Carl Paladino to resign his spot on the board.
Paladino, also a longtime Buffalo businessman, developer and political figure, has caused outrage with prior comments but few have garnered attention from outside New York state. That changed last week when newsweekly ArtVoice asked noteworthy Western New Yorkers, including Paladino, what they would like to see happen in 2017.
Paladino's answers to the wishlist included Barack Obama catching mad cow disease and Michelle Obama "[returning] to being a male and [letting] loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla."
The board passed the resolution 6 to 2, with board members Patty Pierce and Larry Quinn the two voting against it, even though they were offended by what he said. Paladino didn't attend the meeting.
The majority called for Paladino to face consequences for his actions, while Pierce told the crowd she'd rather see her colleague step up and apologize. This which was met with angry jeers and even the ejection of one woman from the chamber.
The board resolution asks that Paladino resign within the next 24 hours. If he does not, it will petition the state education commissioner to have him removed.
"Twenty-four hours, 15 minutes from now, get gone. We got work to do," said Jennifer Mercozzi, board member.
Paladino sent this statement, via text message:
It is certainly not an illustration of courage or leadership on the part of the council members, legislators, mayor or county executive, who have joined in the chorus of racist and incompetent Board of Ed members seeking my removal, so as to push back on me to not disclose their culpability in rigging the recent teacher’s contract, or their complicity in trying to unfairly settling the Board's $450 million lawsuit against Lou Ciminelli, for fleecing the citizens and children of Buffalo. It's going to be a very combative year.
Duncan Kirkwood, a community activist with Black Lives Matter Buffalo, expected such response.
"Hateful, racist people don't say 'Oh my gosh, I'm hateful and racist, let me step down.' It's not going to happen... if we put enough on the Education Commissioner, he can be removed from office," Kirkwood said.
Several members, including Hope Jay, said they feel keeping Paladino on the board would undermine teaching and student advancement. Quinn cautioned calling for the resignation of a board member is a "very slippery slope," especially for something they have said.
"When you've done something wrong, stand up, be accountable for it, make peace with the people you hurt and ask for their forgiveness. That's a lot more than saying you're sorry," said Quinn.