The Perils Of The Open Mike: Lawyer Resigns From Board Presidency After Calling Parent “Chubby Wubby”

Raymond Cote, an attorney in New York, has resigned not only from his position as board president but withdrawn from his campaign to be re-elected to the Mahopac Board of Education. The reason? An open mike caught him referring to a parent during a meeting break as a “chubby wubby.”

Cote is speaking with another individual during the break in the upstate New York school board meeting when the mike caught him saying “Oh I know, I know. This one here, ‘Chubby wubby.’ She gets fatter and fatter at every meeting. She really does!”

Cote was referring to an unidentified mother of six and PTA volunteer and produced outrage and calls for his resignation. After resigning, Cote emailed a statement to parents: “I would like to apologize for my choice of words after the close of the board meeting on April 8, 2014, which are regretful. My words were inappropriate and do not reflect my feelings or attitudes. I will strive to regain the trust and respect of the community.”

Do you believe that a resignation was warranted for such a remark (as opposed to a public apology) that Cote thought was private? It raises similar questions to the Sterling controversy over private comments that are accidentally or unintentionally made public.