Lancaster public sharply divided over calls for Councilwoman Janet Diaz to resign

Lancaster City — Dozens of residents used a public-comment-only Lancaster City Council meeting April 29 to press opposing views about whether Councilwoman Janet Diaz should resign after inflammatory social-media posts drew local criticism.

The debate opened with accusations from resident Irene Grievous, who said the posts were part of a pattern of discrimination: "There has been a lot of outrage recently over the discrimination allegedly targeted at counselor Diaz," Grievous said, and charged that similar complaints had been ignored by the city in other cases.

The discord at the meeting reflected sharply different assessments of Diaz's record and conduct. Critics including David Miller Glick said the councilwoman has "an established pattern of bigotry and personal attacks," and announced a local coalition’s call for her resignation: "For these reasons we join our coalition partners Lancaster DSA and Black Voter Outreach Network in calling Janet Diaz to resign from Lancaster City Council," Miller Glick said.

Supporters described Diaz as a longtime neighborhood advocate. Aaron Dixon, who identified himself as having worked with Diaz for eight years, said, "I've only known her to be a champion for the residents of the city," and credited her with helping secure meetings and services for Southeast neighborhoods. Chandra Damal, who said she has known Diaz for eight years, told the council Diaz "has spent her whole life lifting up communities, especially communities of color, veterans, single mothers and the homeless."

Multiple commenters asked that disagreements be resolved at the ballot box rather than in council chambers. Several speakers, including Darryl Legacy and others, said the episode had become a distraction from other city problems such as homelessness, public safety and housing affordability. Council President Baker told the room the meeting would be kept to public comment and read language from Resolution No. 30 of 2015 guiding decorum: "Loud, profane, belligerent, abusive, and slanderous remarks will not be tolerated."

No formal action was taken by the council during the meeting. The session had no legislative agenda; council staff said earlier in the night that Bill 3 had been re‑advertised and would be taken up at a May 13 meeting. Speakers on both sides repeatedly called for clarity, apology or accountability, and many urged work on substantive policy matters instead of personal attacks.

The meeting illustrated deep local divisions: proponents of resignation emphasized the reputational damage of the posts and uneven accountability, while defenders pointed to Diaz’s constituency work and community outreach. The council did not vote, and no staff report or formal investigation was announced at the session.

Council President Baker closed the meeting by urging future decorum and productive discussion, and noting the council’s responsibility to ensure meetings are orderly and respectful.