The Brookhaven city manager apologized Monday to the photographer, and one of his models, who had accused a city official of making a racist remark during a city event.
City Manager Marie Garrett issued a statement saying she had met with photographer Nelson Jones, one of his models who was at the event, and the model’s mother.
“I apologized to them personally for how they were treated at the Cherry Blossom Festival last month and explained to them that the communications director no longer works for the city,” Garrett said in the statement.
The statement did not characterize the remark in question. Garrett said she could not comment further because the photographer’s complaint was still under investigation.
The controversy centers on a dispute between former communications director Rosemary Taylor and Jones, who the city hired to photograph its festival in late March. Jones said he took along two models, one of whom was black and the other Asian.
Jones said that when Taylor saw him photographing the models, she told him to stop taking pictures and said, “This is not the image I want for the city of Brookhaven.”
Jones and the two models said they took the comment as racist.
Brookhaven officials fired Taylor a week ago for “conduct unbecoming a city employee.”
Taylor said her comment was not racist, that she had told Jones she did not want models representing the city.
On Monday, Jones said he was satisfied with the city’s apology and decision to terminate the communications director. He said he still believes the comment was racist.
“It was meant to demean and undermine those girls,” he said.
Model Khamlee Vongvone also said she believes the city has done the right thing. She said the meeting with Garrett lasted about 10 minutes.
“She apologized on behalf of the city,” Vongvone said.
The other model who was at the festival, Dominique Jackson, did not attend because she has joined the Navy, Jones said.
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