Oregon mayor resigns after offensive Facebook posts targeted LGBTQ+ community, women, immigrants
The mayor of a city on the Oregon coast has resigned and apologized for offensive comments he had been posting for years about the LGTBQ+ community and other marginalized groups in a private Facebook group.
The messages that Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer had been sharing since at least 2016 in a group for current and retired police officers were first revealed by Oregon Public Broadcasting in a report last week. The media outlet also reported that Sawyer − a Newport police officer for three decades before he was elected mayor in 2018 − apologized and resigned Monday morning after saying that the posts did not reflect his true values.
For the past seven years, OPB reported that Sawyer, the mayor of the central coast city of about 10,000, had been sharing memes and posts denigrating women, immigrants, non-English speakers and the LGBTQ+ community in the Facebook group with more than 39,000 members.
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In a flurry of recent posts targeting trans people, OPB reported that Sawyer mocked Bud Light, which has drawn the ire of Republicans for the company’s business relationship with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
OPB reported that it was able to independently review the posts made inside the Facebook group, which requires proof of an active or retired law enforcement ID to join.
“These comments were totally separate,” Sawyer told OPB. “They don’t reflect who I am and what I do on a daily basis. They were stupid. They were juvenile.”
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In his resignation letter, which the Newport Police Department shared on Facebook, Sawyer expressed his regret and offered an apology "in its sincerest and simplest form."
“I wanted to make Newport a better place to live for everyone. But I now realize that some of my actions and my words have hurt people I love and care about,” the letter read. "It was wrong for me to belittle people with experiences different than my own. I understand that many of you are upset, angry and confused by my actions. You have every right to be."
Sawyer's decision to leave office came after more than 100 people protested outside City Hall during the weekend to demand his resignation, OPB reported. Organized by a local LGBTQ+ pride group, the demonstration included five of his six colleagues on the Newport City Council, who appeared ready to ask for his resignation at a special meeting scheduled for Monday, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement provided to Paste BN, Newport Police Chief Jason Malloy condemned Sawyer's actions and said what he posted on Facebook doesn't reflect the values of the department that Sawyer was long a part of.
"His posts and comments are prejudiced, racially insensitive and inappropriate," Malloy said in the statement. "Our agency has made great strides to improve community relations, and being inclusive so that all members of our community feel safe."
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The City of Newport's government website indicates that City Council President Jan Kaplan is serving as acting mayor. In a statement provided to Paste BN, Kaplan emphasized the city's commitment to embracing diversity.
"Members of the City Council were pleased to see Mayor Sawyer’s acceptance of responsibility in his letter of resignation," Kaplan said in the statement. "His decision to resign will help this community to heal and to focus on our ongoing efforts to assure a safe and welcoming community for all."
Contributing: Associated Press.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for Paste BN. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @EricLagatta.