A London city councillor used the “N-word” in a public debate Tuesday, saying she did it for shock value.

Coun. Sandy White dropped the bomb as she called on two council members to apologize for comments they made about her resigning from the London Transit Commission.

Within minutes, White’s use of the offensive word for a black person lit a firestorm of criticism on Twitter, with many Londoners saying they can’t believe the word was used in a council meeting.

Coun. Harold Usher, the only black politician on council, said he was left speechless by the racial utterance.

“I was so stunned, I had to keep silent because I knew if I had opened my mouth I would have exploded,” he said later.

Calling the episode “appalling, disgraceful and unfortunate,” Usher said “I think it’s unfortunate we have to stoop so low at council — this is the lowest I’ve ever experienced it.”

On Twitter, Londoners vented outrage.

“Sandy received letters of support over LTC resignation . . . wonder how many letters she gets for saying the n-word and not retracting?” citizen activist Shawn Adamsson tweeted.

“Using racist language to make a point against other oppressed groups only fuels hatred against all oppressed groups. It’s wrong,” Megan Walker, executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre, said in another tweet.

Beyond city hall, fallout from the use of the racial slur quickly boomeranged through wider political circles.

“There’s a lot of things you can say for shock value — (but) you don’t say them,” said former city controller Gina Barber. “I was quite stunned.”

Barber said it’s unclear if White can recover from the bad optics. “She certainly has done herself enormous harm.”

White — who late Tuesday apologized on the London CTV newscast — reached for the N-word as she explained she was upset at radio station ads on transit buses depicting a sexually suggestive pop star Katy Perry, so she felt she had to resign.

“It was not an easy decision,” she said as she rose to explain it. “I would not stay there.”

Visibly upset, White insisted if the advertisement had used the “n-word,” everyone would automatically know it’s offensive and her motives would be better understood.

As it was, she felt the ad was a demeaning depiction of women and comments about her heartfelt decision by colleagues violated her rights.

White said she contacted a lawyer Tuesday who agreed her human rights had been violated by council members.

She sought public apologies from councillors Bill Armstrong and Paul Hubert, who the previous night at a committee meeting wondered about allowing her to quit because it only increases the workload of other council members.

Coun. Joni Baechler was appointed in her place.

White said she felt she’d been slighted.

“I can only ask you to have some respect,” White said.

Coun. Matt Brown sought an apology from a fellow member of council, whom he didn’t specify, for what he’d heard.

“That word has no place in our society,” he said.

Brown didn’t specify what word or who used it, and Mayor Joe Fontana professed he had no idea what Brown was talking about.

White then jumped to her feet and identified herself as the speaker referred to and conceded she used the word that offended Brown on the advice of her black daughter “for shock value.”

Tempers rose as Armstrong retorted he had no intention to apologize because he said he hadn’t questioned White’s motives in leaving the transit commission. But her departure meant a replacement was needed from a council where “some of us are taxed” with a heavy workload.

“It was not directed at you,” he told White, who barked complaints at him. “There won’t be an apology.” Armstrong said.

Hubert said nothing.

Usher said the mayor must do something about White’s use of the N-word.

With the temperature rising Tuesday night, Fontana moved to take charge. He said council can’t tell London Transit what to do about its ads and can’t question White’s motives.

Fontana said council members should be held responsible for their comments and he’d heard some things he was “very uncomfortable with.”

He said he plans to review video from Tuesday’s council meeting and the previous night’s committee meeting.

“I will speak to any member who crossed the line,” he said, moving to quell further debate.

“It is up to me to bring some harmony back to this council,” he said.



chip.martin@sunmedia.ca

twitter.com/ChipatLFPRess

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THE QUOTE:

"When someone on the commission said to me, 'Sandy, the children like it.' I went, 'I'm done.' That's enough. They like drugs, they like alcohol, they like a lot of things and do we put that on the side of a bus? But if I would've used words like (the N-word)? Oh then it would have made sense. Or if we would have put the man's penis on the side of the bus, then oh it would have made sense. So I am just asking you to have some respect and accept this."



— Coun. Sandy White

OTHER TWITTER REACTION

“Sandy White: Offended by Katy Perry’s whipped-cream-cans, but not of saying the n-word during council.”

— Matt Trevithick

“I am SO embarrassed this is my city. White rising to say she used n-word strictly for “shock value” and doesn’t retract its use.”

— Stacey Davies

“Thanks for speaking up, @Matt_Brown_ Ms. White’s offensive language has no place in public discussion.”

— Chris Loblaw

“To the councilor that said (N-word) in #LdnOnt In your defense I know (you’re) not racist but only misguided #1Love”

— Jody Skeete-von Wahl

“Some on council are becoming more of an embarrassment to #ldnont. This behaviour is not acceptable.”

— Stuart Clark

“If we start using those words for shock value, where does it end. Inappropriate any time.”

— Coun. Nancy Branscombe