The Buffalo School Board voted 6-2 in favor of a resolution calling for Board member Carl Paladino to resign his seat.
Following the vote, members of the public cheered and gave a standing ovation in the viewing gallery.
RIGHT NOW: A Billboard is now up on the outbound 33 at Kensington concerning Carl Paladino. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/AjoBhfVKoj
— Hannah Buehler (@HannahBuehler) December 29, 2016
The resolution calls for Paladino's resignation within 24 hours of the vote. If Paladino does not resign, the Board will acquire outside counsel to file a petition with State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to remove him.
Larry Quinn and Patty Pierce were the two no votes on the resolution to call for Carl Paladino to resign within 24 hrs. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/I9JDinlAAJ
— Dave Thompson (@DaveWKBW) December 29, 2016
"This community has been rocked," Board President Barbara Seals Nevergold said.
Thursday's special meeting was held specifically in regards to the controversial comments Carl Paladino made in an Artvoice publication.
In Artvoice's 2017 Wishlist, Paladino said he hopes President Barack Obama dies from Mad Cow Disease, and First Lady Michelle Obama live in the outback of Zimbabwe with a gorilla.
Paladino has since apologized for his remarks, but has insisted repeatedly that he will not resign from the School Board.
Paladino was not at the special board meeting, but sent the following statement to 7 Eyewitness News:
"The Board of Education's action today is certainly not an illustration of a profile in courage or leadership. City of Buffalo Council Members, Legislators, the Mayor and County Executive have joined in the chorus of those Board members seeking my removal so as to push back on me to not disclose their culpability in rigging the recent teachers' contract or their complicity in trying to unfairly settle the Board's $450 million lawsuit against Lou Ciminelli for fleecing the citizens and children of Buffalo. I will fight to the end to continue to expose the corruption."
Other community leaders, including Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and County Executive Mark Poloncarz, are also calling on Paladino to resign.
The School Board did the right thing in passing Hope Jay's resolution. It's time for Mr. Paladino to do the right thing for Buffalo: resign.
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) December 29, 2016
Board members Patty Pierce and Larry Quinn who are friends of Paladino's both voted against the resolution, and want to see him apologize, not resign.
"I am calling on Carl Paladino right now in this moment to step up to the plate and express his mistake and apologize," Pierce said. "To learn along with our community that we must live, work, and play together."
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