New York: After an uproar over the racist remarks made by a senior law enforcement official of New Jersey about America’s first Sikh-American AG (Attorney General) Gurbir Grewal over his turban, the senior official has resigned.
The outcry exploded after numerous audio clips were reported of Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino’s remarks from the January 16 event following Phil Murphy’s inauguration as Governor of New Jersey.
A day after the taped clip was obtained by the radio station WNYC was published, Saudino and four other undersheriffs resigned on Friday, according to media reports.
Saudino acquiesced to extreme political pressure led by Governor Murphy.
In the recording, Saudino is heard saying that Murphy appointed Gurbir Grewal because of “the turban”.
At Murphy’s selection of Grewal, Saudino who at the time was the Bergen County prosecutor, claims, “He (Murphy) didn’t do that because of Bergen County; he did that because of the turban.”
AG Grewal called for the resignation as he thinks it is “an important first step in repairing the relationship between the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the diverse communities it serves”.
Adding further, Grewal said, “But our work does not stop there. The fact that a top official could make racist comments about the African-American community and that no one in the room would challenge or correct him, which raises serious concerns.”
The remarks brought criticism across the state, but Saudino at first offered only an apology.
Murphy asserted, following Saudino’s resignation, that he has planned to “appoint an interim sheriff who can restore the public’s trust” in the county of about 1 million residents.
