A Putnam County school board president has resigned after a hot mic picked him up insulting a parent at a recent meeting. Ray Cote, the Board of Education president in the small town of Mahopac, 60 miles north of NYC, was caught on video describing one PTA volunteer as "chubby wubby," adding, "she gets fatter and fatter at every meeting. She really does."
Cote's remarks were aired on the district's live feed from the April 8th meeting. Local resident Deena Bell caught the remark and posted the video excerpt on YouTube. "It totally tells us that he cares nothing for the community that he says he upholds,” Bell told WABC. “Nothing. He cares nothing for us."
The Daily News reports that Cote was part of a diversity and sensitivity team created after students posted racial comments on Twitter. We'll just let that one hang in the air.
In addition to resigning, Cote issued a statement saying, "I would like to apologize for my choice of words after the close of the board meeting on April 8, 2014, which are regretful. My words were inappropriate and do not reflect my feelings or attitudes. I will strive to regain the trust and respect of the community."
