A Pennsylvania town council approved a motion Monday night to censure its mayor over racist Facebook posts, including two showing apes with captions referencing President Barack Obama and his family, CBS News reports.
The West York Town Council unanimously approved the motion to censure Mayor Charles Wasko, a Republican.
“We will send a message to the mayor that his legislative body rebukes him in every way,” Council President Shawn Mauck said, according to the site. “He has embarrassed all of us. Not just this table, but everyone in this room. Everyone in West York. Everyone in York County, everyone in this commonwealth.”
The council also gave the nod to a motion to give the borough solicitor power to look into any legal means necessary to remove Wasko from his position.
Mauck also encouraged the mayor to resign.
One of the problematic images under scrutiny dates to June. The post on Wasko's Facebook page showed a wagon full of orangutans, with the words, "Aww … moving day at the Whitehouse [sic] has finally arrived."
Wasko added his own flair to the picture, writing, "Not soon enough!" in the caption.
Another post suggested that the president should be lynched, showing an image of Clint Eastwood from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and a noose with the caption, "Barry, this rope is for you. You wanna bring that empty chair over here!" according to the Huffington Post.
Wasko, who is white, did not attend the council meeting Monday. CBS notes that he told the Associated Press last week that he was the victim of a "witch hunt."
As CBS notes, Wasko is not paid as mayor and votes only to break ties on the council. He is also in charge of overseeing the West York Borough Police Department.
“He is not just distasteful, he is dangerous,” Carla Christopher, a member of Put People First, York County, insisted. “He is dangerous to Hispanics, he is dangerous to African Americans. He is dangerous to women, to our Muslim friends and neighbors. … He is dangerous to the economic stability and future of this borough.”
Read more at CBS News and the Huffington Post.