The mayor of Odessa, Missouri issued a public apology Wednesday for comments made this week at a council meeting that were derogatory to the Jewish community.
Odessa Mayor Stephen Wright’s apology letter was posted on the city’s Facebook page.
“Those statements were not in keeping with the beliefs and values of the City of Odessa and should not be construed to represent the views of our City,” Wright wrote. "It was not my intent to degrade or marginalize anyone, or any group of people, nor to further any negative stereotypes based upon their heritage or belief.”
The video of the incident was removed. However, NGO StopAntisemitism obtained the language that was used by Mayor Wright and shared it with their followers on Twitter. The antisemitic phrase used by the mayor is a hurtful stereotype that has been used against the Jewish communities.
"They're not trying to Jew anybody" - Mayor Stephen Wright of Odessa, MO stated during a May 15th meeting.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 19, 2023
The meeting continued on as normal, though one board member did seem jarred by the language.
Once video was posted to the town's FB page, outrage ensued and Wright… pic.twitter.com/ulJ62nmXbs
The comments were made during the May 15, 2023, Board of Alderman meeting.
In removing the video, the city said the “City’s social media policy” was violated.