Red Bank Human Relations Committee Member Asked To Resign Over 'Sob Stories' Remark: Report

RED BANK, NJ — A member of Red Bank's Human Relations Committee has been asked to resign from the panel over remarks to a podcaster that called it a "nothing committee" and referred to witness testimony as "sob stories," according to a report.

The Red Bank Green reported that David Pascale, chairman of the borough's Human Relations Committee, requested the resignation of Michael Clancy over statements Clancy made to Matty Faz, a podcaster from Ocean County, in the wake of a meeting where the committee considered a resolution asking Red Bank to oppose forced collaboration on enforcing immigration law.

The meeting drew hundreds of protesters, many of whom had gathered in Middletown for a pro-Trump rally before going to the hearing in Red Bank. The topic of sanctuary cities has become a point of heated conflicts, as President Donald Trump has continued to stress his plan to build a wall on the southern border between the United States and Mexico and visible immigration enforcement that in some areas of the country has included raids.

The Feb. 27 meeting of the Human Relations Committee included testimony from a number of people, many of whom were Hispanic, which Clancy later characterized in the podcast as "mostly children of undocumented immigrants, coming up and giving heartwarming sob stories about them worrying about their parents getting deported,” according to the Red Bank Green report.

The committee at that meeting voted 5-2 to oppose “any forced collaboration” but stopped short of declaring Red Bank a sanctuary city, the Red Bank Green reported, and called for the town to monitor and challenge any costs arising from federal efforts to find and deport undocumented aliens. Clancy and Sean Di Somma were the no votes.

Pascale also took issue with Clancy's characterization of the panel as a "nothing committee," the report said.

The Human Relations Committee, founded in 1993, exists to "advise the Mayor and Borough Council on ways to promote ethnic and cultural harmony among all Borough residents," according to the committee's page on the borough's website. "The Committee will propose ways to encourage goodwill, cooperation, and conciliation among the multicultural residents of the Borough. It will also recommend educational and cultural programs to foster unity and develop a sense of community."

"The Committee is dedicated to fostering an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance of each individual. Red Bank is a great place to live, work and grow giving us a unique opportunity to recognize, appreciate and celebrate the many cultures that make up our town," the committee's webpage says.

Clancy told the Red Bank Green that he intends to remain on the committee.

Read more of that report here.

An official for the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego works with a family Friday, March 3, 2017, in San Diego. Mexican officials announced Friday the creation of a new network aimed at informing and advocating for Mexicans living in the United States. The network, called the Mexican Defense Center, will bolster work for Mexicans at 50 consulates around the country, including providing legal advice. Photo by Gregory Bull/Associated Press