PITTSFORD, Vt. (WCAX) – Comments caught on microphone Wednesday by a member of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council prompted his resignation from the council.
“You’re [expletive] here illegally.” That statement made by council member Mike Major came on the heels of a statement made by a guest speaking in Spanish. The guest, part of the group Migrant Justice, had been invited to speak by the council. The discussion was about the council removing the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy from the meeting’s agenda.
Major apologized, saying he did not mean for his comments to be heard by the council or the public, and said he was talking to his daughter, not the council. He tendered his resignation from the council during the meeting, where he was serving as a representative of the Vermont Police Association.
Kelly Price, A vice president of the VPA, spoke in the meeting to condemn Major’s comments. “We express our extreme disapproval of the statement made earlier and we do not condone this nor should it represent the VPA, and from our standpoint, it will be handled on our end,” she said.
Council Chair William Sorrell also condemned the statement, saying it undermined the work of Vermont law enforcement to address concerns from marginalized groups, and exemplified the fear those groups feel in Vermont.
The council accepted Major’s resignation.