Brownsville City Commissioner Who Called Black Prosecutors N-Word Says He Wont Resign

Brownsville city commissioner at-large Cesar De Leon publicly apologized for using racial slurs to describe two African-American prosecutors but the Texas lawmaker says that he will not resign. De Leon says that he does not condone or practice racism and that his comments were private and were never meant to be public.

“I made a terrible mistake, but please believe, I still stand against injustice, unfair, and unlawful treatment of any American regardless of race, religion, age or social standing,” De Leon said in remarks that were posted on YouTube. “I will not stop honoring my commitment to the people of Brownsville, nor will I back down in my fight for our great community.”

In September, a recording of De Leon using the n-word and f-word to describe the prosecutors was posted on social media, which has since been taken down.

“There are a couple of f***ing n***ers that Luis Saenz is getting, and I don’t know where he is getting them from. They are coming down to my f***ing city and now they are trying to f***ing put everybody in jail because they think we are a bunch of Mexicans that hit our wives,” De Leon said according to The Brownsville Herald.

“They are f***ing … and I would say this, that I would never dare use that word, but you know what, yes, there are a couple of n***ers in there that think that all of us are f***ing taco eaters.”

Veronica Sanders, one of the Brownsville assistant district attorneys De Leon was disparaging in the recording, sais the perfect apology would be for him to announce his resignation.

“He is not a representation of what Brownsville is or how Brownsville thinks,” Sanders told NBC News on Wednesday. “When you have a person who steps out and says something like that I think it’s time for you to step down.”Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz also said De Leon should resign.

Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz also said De Leon should resign.

“His remarks stand for themselves, speak for themselves. They are racist today, they were racist yesterday, and will be racist tomorrow,” Saenz told NBC affiliate KVEO.

Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez said in a statement the remarks “violates the character of our city.”

De Leon also apologized to Sanders in a private letter and said that in a moment of frustration he wasn’t thinking about his words. “Hopefully one day I will be able to right my wrong,” read the letter, according to NBC News which saw a copy.

Sanders said she wouldn’t expect racial comments to come from De Leon because he is Mexican-American, and thus a minority like her. She also said he was always cordial to her.

Feeling anger, defeat, and shock, Sanders said all she is can do is remain professional and “swallow the reality that racism will show its ugly face in many ways and many places.”

Source: nbcnews.com