Michigan Officials Call For Resignation Of Road Commissioner Who Used Racial Slur

State officials and residents in Michigan on Friday continued their calls for the resignation of a county official who used a racial slur during a meeting earlier in the week. The official in question was identified Leelanau County Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle.

Eckerle was present Tuesday for a road commission meeting that was accessible to the public to listen by phone. He was seen without a facemask despite the high number of coronavirus cases in the state, prompting a member of the commission to ask why he wasn’t wearing one.

“Well, this whole thing is because of them n*****s in Detroit,” Eckerle said when the commission’s chairman, Bob Joyce, told him he couldn’t say that.

“I can say anything I want,” Eckerle said in response. “Black Lives Matter has everything to do with taking the country away from us.”

Several residents listening reported Eckerle’s comments shortly after the meeting, which were later confirmed by Joyce and two other commission members present. The commission subsequently released a letter addressed to Eckerle calling for his immediate resignation for the comments.

“We do not condone the racist comments that you made in the Leelanau County Road Commission meeting room on August 4,” the letter said. “We will not tolerate any kind of racism in our meeting room or in our organization.”

“This behavior has had a serious effect on our excellent Road Commission, and we are asking that you resign immediately.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also condemned Eckerle’s comments and called for his resignation.

“Governor Whitmer believes that Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle must resign immediately. His comments are atrocious,” Whitmer’s spokesperson Tiffany Brown said in a press release. “The Governor has been very clear – there’s no place for hate and racism in Michigan.”

However, Eckerle doubled-down on his comments during an interview Thursday with Interlochen Public Radio.

“I don’t regret calling it an n****r,” Eckerle said when asked if he regretted using the language and maintains he has no racist intent. “A n****r is a n*****r is a n*****r. That’s not a person whatsoever.”