Georgia mayor, city official facing calls for resignation over racial discrimination scandal
The political heat is increasing after Mayor Theresa Kenerly is accused of saying her town "isn't ready" to have a Black person in its administration
A Georgia mayor who has been in the midst of controversy since revelations surfaced that she refused to consider a municipal job candidate because he is Black, is facing calls to resign, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting.
Theresa Kenerly of Hoschton, Ga., reportedly told a colleague on the city council in March that she was rejecting a candidate for city administrator because of his race, the AJC reported, based on documents and interviews. She told the colleague that she was removing the candidate from consideration because Hoschton, a community of 2,000 that is predominantly white, “isn’t ready for this,” the news organization reports.
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A second city official — Hoschton City Councilman Jim Cleveland — inserted himself into the controversy when, during an interview with the AJC, he said interracial marriage goes against his “Christian beliefs” and makes his “blood boil.” After those statements, calls for Cleveland to resign rose as well.
Angry calls for both officials to step down came from officials and civilians throughout metro Atlanta. The issue drew 75 people to a city council meeting in Hoschton on Monday.
“Their conduct is reprehensible,” Hoschton Councilwoman Susan Powers told the AJC. “They have no business continuing to lead this city.”
One Black resident addressed the mayor directly during Monday’s meeting, which Kenerly abruptly ended after 15 minutes. She did not address the scandal during the meeting.
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“You do not represent our community and I didn’t move here for that,” Shantwon Austin, who moved to Hoschton with his family two years ago, told Kenerly during the meeting.
Kenerly dodged reporters on Monday but did issue a statement earlier in the year saying she did not recall the conversation in which she made the alleged comments, according to the AJC.
“I do not recall making the statement attributed to me regarding any applicant for the City Administrator position, and I deny that I made any statement that suggest [sic] prejudice,” she said.
As for Cleveland, he responded to threats of recall with a tone of defiance.
“That’s the only way you’re going to get me out,” he said. “I’m not a racist.”
Hoschton, which sits 50 miles outside of Atlanta with less than 2,000 residents is experiencing tremendous growth. But the AJC reports the city has a seriously flawed hiring process and there has been issues with race throughout city government.
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