05 June 2008

Slammed for KKK “stunt”

Kapiti Mayor Jenny Rowan has slammed Paraparaumu-Raumati Community Board member Dale Evans for his “offensive behaviour” in wearing Ku Klux Klan attire to a recent Council meeting.

Ms Rowan said she was very pleased to receive Mr Evan’s apology at the Council meeting this morning because members of the community were outraged, angry and upset about the incident.

Ms Rowan said Mr Evan’s Ku Klux Klan attire was not only extremely inappropriate for a Community Board member, but also highly distasteful to fellow Community Board members, Councillors and members of the public.

“The use of a Ku Klux Klan costume was incredibly unintelligent, completely ill-conceived and absolutely incongruent with the water issues you say you are concerned about.

“If you were trying to make a point about “Hoodie Day” it fell far short of the mark, and ended up under-mining the sincere and genuine efforts of young people in the district to promote Youth Week activities,” she said.

“In hindsight I’m sure that an association with the KKK is not something you would want for our District,” she said.

Ms Rowan apologised to the community for not having dealt with the matter more directly last week saying she was taken by surprise by the incident and initially passed it off as “just another of Mr Evans’s stunts.”

“For some time we have tolerated Mr Evan’s antics and I am now giving notice that I will no longer accept them in the Council Chambers,” she said.

Ms Rowan said Mr Evans had “crossed the line” when he continued his “attention-seeking behaviour” by staging a KKK scene, complete with fire, for the benefit of nationwide television. “This gained you and the Kapiti Coast negative worldwide media attention.”

Ms Rowan said the issue had wasted the Council’s time and money for nearly a week, which was “completely unacceptable.”

“I need to remind you, that you signed up to the Council Code of Conduct in March this year and this requires all elected members to behave with a high level of respect and integrity and appropriate conduct. It also requires us to maintain an acceptable standard of professionalism and regard for others,” she said.

“I know that you care about this community and I also know that when you are motivated and focused you have the ability to achieve things.

“You demonstrated this very effectively in the last triennium with your campaign on storm water drainage. I would encourage you to revert to meaningful campaigns where you can effect constructive change rather than time-wasting offensive stunts and antics,” she said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media