• Nury Martinez, a Democrat and fellow Councilman, apologised to Mike Bonin and his family.
• She also made fun of Mexicans from Oaxaca and said that she didn’t like Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón because “he’s with the Blacks”.

A Los Angeles city councilwoman quit as president of the council on Monday after an audio recording of her making racist and other rude comments, including about the Black son of a colleague, was made public.

In a statement, Nury Martinez, a Democrat and fellow Councilman, apologised to Mike Bonin and his family. She also said that her resignation would take effect right away. She still represents the sixth district of Los Angeles.

Martinez got into trouble when the Los Angeles Times reported on comments she made during a recorded meeting in October 2021. She said that Bonin, who is white, treated his Black son like a “accessory” and called him a “changuito,” which means “little monkey.” Bonin did not show up.

The Times said that Martinez also made fun of Mexicans from Oaxaca and said that she didn’t like Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón because “he’s with the Blacks.”

“I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments. I’m so sorry,” Martinez said in the statement. “As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal.”

Media says that Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, two other Democratic council members, and Ron Herrera, a labour leader who quit on Monday night, were also in the room during the conversation.

It said that De León said Bonin didn’t care about Latinos and called him the “fourth Black member” of the council.

According to the Times, all three of them said in statements that inappropriate comments were made at the meeting.

When asked what they thought about Herrera’s resignation, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor did not answer.

Bonin said in a statement on Sunday that the city council should get rid of Martinez as president and ask her to leave the council.

Bonin said, “Any parent who reads her comments will see that she is not fit for public office.”

Black Lives Matter, a group of activists, said that Martinez, Cedillo, de León, and Herrera should leave their jobs.

The website for Martinez’s office says that in January 2020, she became the first Latina to lead the city council. In 2013, she was first chosen to serve on the city council.

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