The mayor of Newport, Oregon, resigned July 11 due to memes posted on social media deemed controversial and offensive, according to KATU.
News outlet OPB published memes Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer had been posting since 2016 on a Facebook group called “LEO Only.” The memes reportedly contained controversial jokes about Mexicans and transgender people, making fun of public figures Lia Thomas and Dylan Mulvaney, according to OPB.
In response to this news, activists protested over the weekend and demanded Sawyer’s resignation, per KATU. (RELATED: Some Protesters Call For De Blasio To Resign, Justin Fairfax Breaks Curfew During Eighth Night Of Unrest)
Sawyer explained the Facebook account is a private group and posts are “clearly” not meant to be public, OPB noted. He explained he cares for the wellness of Newport’s community and his public actions are separate from his private life.
The mayor of Newport has apologized and resigned over offensive content he posted in a private Facebook group for current and retired police officers. https://t.co/uPWx8bozZC
— KTVZ NewsChannel 21 (@KTVZ) July 10, 2023
“These comments were totally separate,” Sawyer explained. “They don’t reflect who I am and what I do on a daily basis. They were stupid. They were juvenile.”
“I am sorry to everyone in this community and anyone hurt by my actions, directly and indirectly,” Sawyer added.
City Manager Spencer Nebel recalled how Newport embraced diversity, equity and inclusion values in January 2021, KATU reported.
“This statement specifically provides that: In the strongest terms, the City of Newport condemns racism, discrimination, and other types of bias,” Nebel stated. “The City recognizes that a community is enhanced by its diversity, and City facilities and services exist to serve all members of the community. Racism and bigotry are never to be supported or tolerated, and instead are to be identified and condemned.”
Sawyer served on the City Council in 2011 and was mayor in 2018, according to KATU. The city attested that, as mayor, Sawyer was “an effective lobbyist at the state and federal level for securing significant funding for the Big Creek Dam and other city projects.”
Former City Council President Jan Kaplan is temporarily mayor and thanked Sawyer for his work but reprimanded him for the offensive posts, per the outlet.
“For so many people, I lost count at some point, it was over 70 — the messages that were sent to me and the City Council. People are hurt. Some people, they feel unsafe,” Kaplan said.
Other Councilors have been meeting at City Hall to discuss a future course of action, expecting to elect a new mayor in the upcoming weeks.