A Villa Rica official resigned from his decades-long position as a councilman after using the N-word in a conversation with a Black employee.
Verland Best recently issued an apology after a Black employee claimed the councilman made offensive racial remarks. Best admitted to spewing the racial slur and said he was only quoting someone else, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
The city’s attorney read Best’s resignation letter at a City Council meeting on Tuesday. Best was scheduled to appear at the gathering but was not in attendance.
“Had I known that anything I said had caused the person I was addressing any unease or had been taken offensively, I would have apologized immediately,” Best wrote. “I sincerely apologize and hope that the person I was talking with and anyone else made aware of our conversation will know and believe that would never knowingly or willingly intend any offense.”
Best said the comment he made to the city employee was to support his claim that “we had come a very long way from 30+ years ago.” He and the Black employee were discussing Best’s days as a former Villa Rica High School football coach. The councilman claimed he was only quoting the racist statements made by white parents years ago. However, the controversial conversation made the woman feel uncomfortable and she later filed a complaint.
Villa Rica Mayor Jeff Reese told the news station, “There are just certain things you don’t say. … I was shocked that a councilman of 23-plus years would make the comment.”
