In the wake of the “taco” comments the mayor of East Haven made after four police officers were charged with racial profiling, the chairman of the Democratic town committee is asking the Republican official to resign, effective immediately.
“(Mayor Joe) Maturo’s comment (I might have tacos when I go home) goes to the root of the racial profiling allegations here in East Haven,” Gene Ruocco said in a statement. “Everyone knows the seriousness of this matter and for him, as the leader of our community, to say something so utterly insensitive is a complete disgrace. He should be ashamed of himself.”
Maturo issued a statement of apology on Wednesday afternoon.
“My sincerest apologies go out to the East Haven community and, in particular, the Latino community for the insensitive and off-collar comment that I made to WPIX reporter Mario Diaz yesterday regarding the recent events affecting our community and our police department,” Maturo said in a statement released on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, I let the stress of the situation get the best of me and inflamed what is already a serious and unfortunate situation. I regret my insensitive comment and realize that it is my job to lead by example.”
Gov. Dannel Malloy called the statement "racially insensitive."
“The comments by East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo are repugnant. They represent either a horrible lack of judgment or worse, an underlying insensitivity to our Latino community that is unacceptable. Being tired is no excuse. He owes an apology to the community, and more importantly, he needs to show what he’s going to do to repair the damage he’s done. And he needs to do it today.”
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra also issued a statement, saying he was "disgusted" by Maturo's remarks.
As both a Latino and as Chief Elected Official of Connecticut’s Capital City, I am disgusted by Mayor Maturo’s comments. As Mayor, I stand strongly behind the men and women who protect and serve our City and encourage our residents to work as partners toward the best interests of our communities. That cannot happen if accusations of egregious discrimination are dismissed and disregarded. Many have worked diligently to correct the painful history of racism in this country, and Mayor Maturo’s comments are a disappointing example of how far we still have to go to," Segarra said.
