Updated Thursday, Dec. 1, 8:30 p.m. EST: The University of Colorado’s School of Medicine is cutting ties with Dr. Michelle Herren, the faculty member who made a racist remark about first lady Michelle Obama on Facebook. Read the latest here.
Earlier:
Dr. Michelle Herren, a pediatric anesthesiologist who works at Denver Health Medical Center, Children's Hospital Colorado, took to Facebook and posted a photo of Michelle Obama yelling.
Under the photo, Herren, who is also an assistant professor at the Colorado University School of Medicine, wrote: "Doesn't seem to be speaking too eloquently here, thank god we can't hear her! Harvard??? That's a place for "entitled" folks said all the liberals!"
Herren then added, "Monkey face and poor ebonic English!!! There! I feel better and am still not racist!!! Just calling it like it is!"
Joann Nieto, who saw the post, told ABC 7 Denver that it was "entirely unacceptable."
"Hiding behind the excuse that you're not racist doesn't negate the fact that you are being racist," she said.
The post stayed up for four days, until Nieto sent an email to the Colorado University Board of Regents.
"If I never would have mentioned anything to them, how much longer would that comment have been out there in the public world?" Nieto said.
Herren told the news station that she was simply trying to make a point that people can say anything about Melania Trump but get accused of being racist if they talk about Michelle Obama.
She said that the post was being "taken out of context" and that she didn't realize the term "monkey face" was offensive. She did not address her comment about "ebonics."
Herren has removed the comment and taken down her page, the news station reports.
Denver Health released the following statement to ABC 7 Denver:
Denver Health's mission is to provide high quality health care to all, regardless of income levels, ethnicity, gender or social background. Our staff and our patient population are reflective of the diverse Denver Community we serve. We don't condone nor do we agree with the statements Dr. Herren made, as they are inconsistent with Denver Health's mission and values. However, we cannot control the opinions our staff choose to express as private individuals.
Read more at ABC 7 Denver.