A Daily Mail editorial from the Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Amid public and media scrutiny that officials had likely never experienced before, members of the Town Council of Clay accepted the resignation of their mayor, apologized to the world for the ruckus she was part of, and moved on.
Beverly Whaling, mayor of the town 48 miles north of Charleston with a population of 468, responded affirmatively to an ill-conceived Facebook post about first lady Michelle Obama.
Over the weekend, the executive director of the Clay Development Corp., Pamela Ramsey Taylor, referred to Mrs. Obama as an “Ape in heels” in a Facebook post. Mayor Whaling responded with the comment, “Just made my day Pam.”
The Facebook post began to circulate over the weekend and then went viral — with coverage by national and international media outlets such as The Associated Press, The Washington Post and the BBC, reported WV MetroNews. An online petition asking for the resignation of Taylor and Whaling generated thousands of signatures.
Taylor was relieved of her job duties on Monday, reported the Gazette-Mail’s Ali Schmitz. Whaling submitted her resignation to the town council early Tuesday. The council accepted her resignation at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening.
Both women’s Facebook pages have since been deleted.
“First and foremost, the council would like to condemn the horrible and indecent post that was the center of the controversy,” Hubbard said. “This kind of racism and intolerance is not what this community is about. This community is a hopeful and helpful, empathetic and God-loving community, and we are tolerant. Please don’t judge the community for one or two individual acts.”
Councilwoman Joyce Gibson even went one better, encouraging people to visit so they can understand how accepting people are in the town of Clay.
“Spend a day with us. I might even make a cup of coffee,” she told reporters after the meeting. “Or if I knew you were coming, I’d bake a cake.”
Resident Jeanie Davis was surprised by the post and described how everyone in the community helped each other rebuild after June’s massive flooding.
“We come together as people,” Davis said.
And the town of Clay did come together quickly to right a wrong, and the whole town deserves credit for showing class after a classless act.
