A group of Miami students launched an effort to recall Councilman Jason Bracken and Oxford Mayor Michael Smith at a City Council meeting on Tuesday.
Landon Halverson addressed the City Council in a public comment, citing the disrespect with which they treated members of the public and Miami students as the reason for the recall. At the City Council meeting on August 31, Mayor Smith made the remark that Miami students needed to be “babysat” while Mr. Bracken could be seen rolling his eyes and laughing at comments made by students and other members of the Oxford community.
“Mr. Bracken and Mr. Smith had the opportunity to take a controversial issue and unite the community around solutions, but instead chose to disparage the student population and divide people further,” Halverson said. He went on, “As an elected official, indeed you have the ability to belittle those you represent. You do not, however, have the ability to do so without consequence.”
A group of students gathered after the meeting to show their support for the recall petition, holding signs that read “WE DON’T NEED ‘BABYSAT’” and “RECALL BRACKEN+SMITH.”
Oxford resident Carissa Schnell was one of several other community members who expressed their disappointment in the City Council members. In reference to the different issues addressed by the public on Tuesday, Ms. Schnell said, “We’ve given a lot of feedback… and frankly after last week’s comments I’m kind of concerned about if you’re really even going to care.”
In her public comment, Ms. Schnell expressed her concern that there had been no discussion of exemptions from the mask policy at the last meeting and that those who are unable to wear a mask are subjected to “dirty looks” and other discrimination in Oxford establishments.
Under the ordinance passed last week, individuals with medical or mental health conditions are exempt from wearing a mask. One of these mental health exemptions can apply to survivors of rape or sexual assult, as pointed out by Ms. Schnell who shared her story with the council.
“Are we supposed to walk into every business and tell the sob story of what happened?” she asked. “Why I don’t want a mask on my face because it reminds me of something that happened twenty years ago?”
While Ms. Schnell shared her experience, Mr. Bracken rolled his eyes and shook his head, which can be seen in the video below.
Bracken’s demeanor during Ms. Schnell’s statement caused more outrage when the video was released to those participating in the recall effort.
Mayor Smith issued an apology for his remarks during the City Council meeting. Afterward, he gave a statement to the Patriot about the recall effort. “I hope they’ll reconsider or at least talk to me before they proceed with it, because I would like to have a conversation about things,” he said. “I realize I hurt some people with my flippant comments and I didn’t mean it to be that way.”
As he hastily left the courthouse, Councilman Bracken refused a conversation with the Patriot, but did remark that the students and Oxford residents are “welcome to try” to recall him.
