West Virginia Mayor Resigns After Praising Michelle Obama ‘Ape In Heels’ Post
The West Virginia mayor who lauded a friend’s post calling Michelle Obama an “ape in heels” has resigned.
Clay Mayor Beverly Whaling’s friend Pamela Ramsey Taylor posted on Facebook after Donald Trump’s election 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.”
Thousands of social media users decried the post’s racism, but Whaling commented that Taylor had “just made my day.”
An online petition calling for both women to lose their jobs soon amassed tens of thousands of supporters, and on Monday Taylor was removed from her post as director of the Clay County Development Corp.
Clay County saw more than 77% support for Trump, and West Virginia’s 69% was the second highest for him after Wyoming.
However, Whaling’s resignation was submitted to and accepted by the Clay Town Council on Tuesday.
Council member Jason Hubbard issued a statement calling the original post “horrific” and saying “racial intolerance isn’t what this community is about.”
