A Lackawanna School Board member accused of posting anti-Arab, profanity-laced comments on his Facebook page resigned under pressure Saturday, but emotions over the controversy run deep.
Despite the resignation of School Board member Kevin Rozwood by midday Saturday, as many as 150 protesters -- most from the Muslim community -- rallied on the steps of Lackawanna City Hall in the afternoon.
Protesters called for Rozwood to be fired from his job as a city police dispatcher, and said this incident was only the latest trouble the Muslim community has had with the Lackawanna School District.
In general, there was frustration over what is perceived as a backlash against Muslims at a time of rising tensions.
"Enough is enough," said Idreas "A.J." Ahmed.
"We trace our lineage in Lackawanna over 100 years now," said Ahmed, a board member for Global Concepts Charter School. "How long do we have to be here before we're recognized as stakeholders in this community?"
Rozwood resigned after "categorically and vehemently" denying that he has any prejudice toward Arab-Americans or Muslims.
The Lackawanna School Board, in a special meeting at noon, unanimously accepted Rozwood's resignation after meeting in executive session for about 35 minutes.
In his four-paragraph resignation letter, Rozwood stated that some people have questioned his character based on statements attributed to him from what he believed were private online conversations.
"These same individuals are now attempting to portray me as possessing ethnic, religious and racial prejudice towards persons of Arabian descent and the Muslim religion, an implication I categorically and vehemently deny," Rozwood wrote.
Contending the accusations would distract the School Board, Rozwood added that he became a board member to be part of the solution to the school district's challenges, not part of the problem.
"I think the end result was the proper thing for this community at this time," School Board President John W. Makeyenko said.
If Rozwood had not resigned, board officials had planned to open an investigation into the Facebook comments. Among the alleged comments from him were complaints about sending aid to the Middle East and suggestions that those from the Middle East are terrorists.
Would fellow board members have attempted to remove Rozwood if he hadn't resigned? "Who knows?" Makeyenko replied. "I really don't know. But we would have taken appropriate action."
Makeyenko emphasized that he believes Rozwood does not have "one ounce of racism" in his body.
Fellow board members -- and some local Arab-American activists -- hugged Rozwood after the board meeting.
Lackawanna First Ward Councilman Abdul Noman said he was sure that the local Yemenite community would be satisfied with the resignation, which he viewed as an apology to the community.
"With his resignation today, it sends a message to all public officials that you cannot use racial remarks [against] any ethnic group -- Arabs, Muslims, African-Americans, Spanish-speaking people, anybody on this earth," Noman said.
A couple of hours later, protesters were at City Hall with signs that read, "No Racism in Our Community."
Khalid Qazi, president of the Western New York chapter of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said he was saddened the situation came to this. "But this is not the first time something like this has happened in the Lackawanna School District and the Lackawanna School Board, so the community sees that there's a pattern to it," Qazi said.
Beverly Hiestand was among the protesters.
"Muslims are really being targeted as terrorists in this country and this is just one way it's surfacing in the Buffalo community," said Hiestand of Buffalo. "If you don't come out and stand against it, it will just get worse."
The demonstration was peaceful, and two police officers stood nearby. Drivers honked their horns as they passed on Ridge Road.
After more than half an hour on the steps of City Hall, Ahmed urged the crowd to disperse peacefully.
"I think it's about time we settle down and go home," Ahmed said. "Our message has been sent.
"By no means is this the end of it," he added. "We will decide when this is the end."
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