Morgantown/Kingwood Branch of the NAACP calls for the resignation of Westover City Attorney Tim Stranko. While discussing public safety in his capacity as City Attorney, Stranko belittled and undermined Delegate Danielle Walker, who was not present, by calling her a “bitch.” Walker is the only Black woman in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
“Reprehensible,” said Dr. Jerry Carr, Jr., president of the Morgantown/Kingwood NAACP. “I don’t know how the public could feel comfortable about this city leadership if they’re willing to look at people who think differently from them as less than human.”
Using the word bitch to demean “otherizes women, it dehumanizes them and tells women they don’t belong in these institutions and positions,” observed Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, in an AP article about the gendered slur. “It is about silencing women and keeping them out.”
At Monday’s City Council meeting, Del. Walker responded, “Do better, City of Westover, because your residents deserve better.”
“In 2021, we shouldn’t be the only organization calling for this person’s resignation,” said Carr. “City Council should be calling for it; other community groups should be calling for it.”
The Morgantown/Kingwood Branch of the NAACP is the local Branch of the nation’s preeminent civil rights organization. The community is invited to join to organize on issues such as education, politics, criminal justice, environmental justice, housing justice, community coordination, and more. To join or donate to the Morgantown/Kingwood NAACP, visit morgantownNAACP.org.
