Flint official who gave Nazi salute loses leadership roles
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A Flint city councilman who gave a Nazi salute to the council's leader and compared her to Adolf Hitler during a public meeting has been stripped of his council leadership roles.
The Flint City Council voted 6-0 on Monday to remove Councilman Eric Mays as finance committee chair and council vice president during yet another heated meeting, The Flint Journal reported.
Mays and Council President Monica Galloway verbally clashed at a Jan. 13 council meeting and when Galloway sought to move on to another point on the agenda, Mays accused her of being rude and of acting like Hitler. He then performed the salute.
After that meeting, Galloway called Mays' gesture “inappropriate and insensitive.” Mays said he was using Hitler as “an analogy for dictatorship" and that he feels targeted by Galloway.
On Monday, Galloway ruled Mays — who has a history of outbursts at council meetings — out of order due to his behavior during a discussion about the purchase of new trucks. She ordered Mays' removal from the meeting for surpassing his warnings for being out of order.
Mays appealed Galloway’s ruling, but his request died for a lack of a support, prompting him to yell and protest while being escorted out by a Flint police officer.
Councilman Maurice Davis then motioned to have Mays removed from his council leadership roles and that motion was approved.
“Our patience has worn thin,” Davis said. “Our community is in a dire need for good leadership."
