Crossing guard’s charged remarks prompt council admonishment and mayoral condemnation of discriminatory language

During the public comment period a city crossing guard described repeated incidents in which drivers allegedly attempted to hit him. The speaker’s remarks, translated in part by a councilmember, included references to a group of drivers and language that the council considered disparaging toward a protected group.

Council President Schier and other members interrupted and directed the crossing guard to address workplace concerns with his supervisors rather than through the dais. A councilmember who translated the remarks warned that verbatim translation showed the speaker using wording that could be discriminatory. The council voted to close public comment and move on.

Mayor Laura later addressed the matter at length, saying the administration would take the allegation about being targeted seriously and asked the police chief to follow up if the speaker claimed threats against his life. The mayor also condemned the use of antisemitic or otherwise discriminatory language in public meetings and said the city would not tolerate remarks that target or disparage any group. “We will not tolerate any discriminatory language, any hate speech, whether spoken in English, Spanish, or any other language,” the mayor said.

The council characterized the incident as an administrative matter for the speaker’s supervisors but said it would ensure allegations of threats are investigated by police if warranted.

Ending: The mayor and council urged residents to bring safety complaints to supervisors or police and reiterated a citywide stance against hate speech and discrimination.