Apologies are not enough

Published 11:24 am Saturday, June 1, 2013

To the Editor:

Apologies for a years worth of racist, sexist and disrespectful remarks that demeaned all women and degraded African Americans and attacked and threatened our Commander in Chief are not enough.

Bailey and DeGroft must resign to purge this cancer from Isle of Wight County. These two have shown a consistent pattern of unfitness for the positions to which they were elected.

Women and minority administration employees should not have to work for such callous individuals. These men have crippled County efforts at minority hiring and retention and will give defenses in EEOC claims and discrimination claims against the County as long as they are in a leadership role.

In addition to these costs, the staff of Isle of Wight County is completely demoralized by Bailey and DeGroft’s conduct and failure to resign prolongs the suffering.

Who will want to relocate to Isle of Wight County and put their kids in public schools where Mr. DeGroft remains?

We will never attract any quality business to Isle of Wight County as long as these two hold an elected office and we may lose businesses who feel they cannot stay in a County that retains elected officials who espouse racists and bigoted principals.

These are just a few of the ways Bailey and DeGroft have and will cost Isle of Wight County actual dollars. Do they care enough about us to resign? Apparently not. They only offer sleazy, bogus excuses for a years worth of crudity and ignorance.

Bailey and DeGroft and those that covered up the conduct have tainted us all.

We have always had local elected officials who possessed dignity, honor and integrity, and we need them back now.

Kristian Veale
Carrollton, Va.