A Charlotte, North Carolina, city councilwoman is under fire after a Facebook post that questioned the validity of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.
On her personal Facebook page, LaWana Mayfield publicly shared a fake news article claiming a scientific journal determined the collapse of the Twin Towers was a controlled demolition.
Mayfield wrote on Facebook, “I am still waiting for someone to produce pieces of the alleged plane that opened the doors for US Citizens to loose (sic) all privacy rights (from the conspiracy theorist in me).”
According to The Associated Press, Mayfield told WFAE-FM that she thought the attacks were used “to not only create a way through government to spy on the American people, but also to privatize a lot of the work that is happening on the ground.”
Overnight, Mayfield edited her post. She didn't apologize but, instead, defended herself and doubled down on a conspiracy theory that has already been debunked.
After the post garnered attention on social media, and national newspapers started reporting on it, Mayfield edited her post to say she didn't want to cause controversy but didn't want to delete it. She also emphasized the rights she and others have to freedom of speech.
People around the country are calling Mayfield's post embarrassing to Charlotte, and there is now an online petition calling for her resignation.
"People lost loved ones," said Charlotte resident Brent Watkins. "Hundreds of people lost loves ones in that crash, so it's almost offensive."
A city spokesman says Mayfield is not a 9/11 truther and that she was just asking a question.
This isn’t Mayfield’s first controversial post.
Last year, the Democratic District 3 representative sparked a controversy after she sent a tweet comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.
Mayfield later apologized for the tweet. In a statement, Mayfield does not apologize for her 9/11 comments and said she will not resign.
The online petition calling for Mayfield to resign had gained 430 signatures as of Wednesday evening.
People who were personally affected by 9/11 are calling Mayfield’s comments hurtful and offensive.
Peter Blaich, who is now a volunteer firefighter in Cornelius, was working for the New York Fire Department on 9/11 in Lower Manhattan.
“9/11 is still like it happened yesterday,” he said.
Blaich witnessed the plane hit the north tower and ran toward the chaos to save lives before being dispatched.
“I buried 43 of my closest friends,” he said. “With comments like that, you need to maybe educate yourself more. But more than that, I think the simplest thing to do is reach out to people who were actually there during the event.”
“I think it’s absolutely disgusting that someone in public office would make a comment like that,” Edmund Walker said.
Walker, who lives in Union County, lost his brother-in-law Steven, who was killed while he climbed up the Twin Towers to save lives.
Walker’s family started the Firefighter Steven Coakley Foundation, which places thousands of flags in Romare Bearden Park every September -- one for every person who died in the terrorist attack.
Walker called Mayfield’s comments incredibly offensive and thinks she should resign.
“Someone in our leadership that clearly doesn’t believe basic American history is now making decisions for a lot of Charlotteans,” Walker said.
Councilman Braxton Winston said everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there are repercussions.
Councilman Tariq Bakhari posted on Twitter: “We have a lot of critical and challenging work on our plate right now, and I don’t have a spare second to be distracted with things that don’t make sense.”
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