Palm Bay council asks governor to suspend councilman and directs ethics complaint after weeks of public outcry

Palm Bay — Facing sustained, emotional testimony from dozens of residents, the Palm Bay City Council on Oct. 3 voted 4–1 to ask Governor Ron DeSantis to suspend Councilman Chandler Langan and to direct the city attorney to prepare a complaint for the Florida Commission on Ethics.

Council members said the decision followed weeks of complaints from residents and community leaders about social-media posts they said were racist and demeaning toward Indian-Americans and other groups. Deputy Mayor Mike Jaffy, who seconded the motion to seek suspension, said the posts “thrust our city into fear and turmoil” and had eroded trust among residents and staff.

The vote followed a marathon public-comment period that drew community leaders, business owners, doctors and faith leaders. Several speakers displayed anger and anguish: Dr. Yoshita Patel Hosking, a pediatric dentist, told the council that comments urging removal of Indians were “not just racist, it’s cruel,” and said they created fear for immigrant families and children. Barrett Patel, president of the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association, called the comments “divisive” and urged council action.

Multiple speakers quoted social-media content attributed to Langan; speakers told the council that posts included comments such as “Deeport every Indian immediately,” which they said had circulated online. In council debate, Langan defended his right to speak and declined to resign, saying he would remain in office for the remainder of his term and that he would continue to post publicly “as long as I’m not breaking the law, I’ll say whatever I damn well please.”

Councilman Johnson said he wanted to hear from Langan before acting but ultimately supported the motion after the public testimony. Mayor Rob Medina and Councilman Hammer described the posts and other conduct the council cited as violations of the city code of conduct and Florida ethics rules. The council’s action also directed the city attorney to draft a complaint under Chapter 112, Part III of the Florida Statutes and asked that a state legislator submit it to the Florida Commission on Ethics, a step city attorneys advised the council could take in parallel with a governor’s suspension request.

What the council asked the governor to do is administrative: under Florida Statute §112.51, the governor may suspend municipal officials accused of wrongdoing pending adjudication. The council did not itself remove Langan; suspension and any formal discipline would be decided by state authorities or via the ethics process. Langan voted against the motion.

Next steps: the mayor’s office and the city attorney will finalize the suspension request for the governor’s review and the city attorney will prepare the ethics referral materials to be submitted to a state legislator for filing with the Florida Commission on Ethics. The council’s action also said staff should preserve relevant records.

The council’s vote came amid broader calls from community groups and some elected officials in the county and state for accountability. A number of speakers asked for either Langan’s resignation or removal; others urged due process but said the posts required an urgent formal response. The city staff said it will return documentation to the council and coordinate with the city attorney on next procedural steps and any necessary public records requests.