MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Shamann Walton: Calls for San Francisco board president's recall after he hurled racist slur at Black cadet

Walton reportedly grew frustrated when the cadet made him remove his belt to pass through the metal detector instead of using the metal detector wand

Shamann Walton, the Democrat president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was slammed after he allegedly hurled a racial slur against a Black cadet while passing through a security checkpoint at City Hall last month.

The allegations against Walton, who is Black himself, surfaced Friday, July 29. The politician reportedly grew frustrated when the cadet made him remove his belt to pass through the metal detector instead of using the metal detector wand to expedite the security process on June 24. San Francisco Undersheriff Joseph Engler noted the events that transpired in a memo following the city’s Human Resources Director Carol Isen's advice to document a possible hostile work environment incident.

RELATED ARTICLES

Grosse Pointe mom uses N-word after thanking school board over diversity and inclusion

Cullman City school board prez's kid chants ‘white power’ as racism plagues AL district

According to the memo obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, which first reported on the allegations, Walton “became very angry” with the cadet. "'It is *N-word* like you that looks like me that is always the problem,'" he said, "referring to the security protocols as some ‘N-word s***’ several times as he yelled at the cadet," Engler wrote in the June 26 memo that was sent to Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and Isen. The report stated that Walton himself told Engler about the incident and is not facing any formal punishment as the matter is considered closed.

A second memo obtained by the newspaper revealed Walton's admission that he used the 'N-word' several times against the cadet. However, he told Engler that he "believed that the way he had used it could be defended.” Walton texted the Chronicle saying the first memo was “more colorful and salacious than what I experienced on that day.” He wrote, “These incidents are in clear dispute and seek to vilify me and my character. I would never expect the Sheriff’s department to provide an accurate account of what transpired between two Black men.”

Walton, one of the most powerful elected officials in the city, accused the cadet of mistreating him as a retaliation for his successful introduction of legislation in 2020 to increase oversight for the sheriff’s department. While the cadet's name was redacted in the aforementioned memos, he later identified himself in an interview with the Chronicle as Emare Butler. He told the outlet that Walton also stated, “You must not know who I am, I’ll whoop you’re [sic] a**,” during the security checkpoint incident. “It was embarrassing,” Butler continued. “You come to work, and you don’t know who his friends are, you don’t know who he has alliances with. I’m just an employee here.”

It's worth noting that Walton has been vocal in calling out allegedly racist language and actions carried out by others. In fact, he successfully introduced the Caren Act (Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies) in 2020, which references the slur "Karen" attributed to middle-aged White women complaining, and makes it illegal to dial 911 to make a "racially biased" or fabricated report. What's more? Walton also reportedly demanded the resignation of school board member Ann Hsy earlier this month, after she told a recent survey about what she per perceived as “a lack of family support” for marginalized students, “especially in the Black and brown community.” Referring to Walton's remarks on Hsu, Butler chimed in, “It was tough to hear. I felt like it was really hypocritical," adding, "You were perfectly fine with berating me in front of a whole floor of people.”

TOP STORIES

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Video of Prince William and Kate Middleton partying before marriage goes viral

Gender fluidity, non-binary characters, and hardly any sex and nudity: GoT fans brace for woke 'House of the Dragon'

Walton was excoriated on social media for his alleged comments against Butler. "What would happen if San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton tried the same alleged outburst (use of N-word and ‘Don’t you know who I am’) at SFO TSA checkpoint, or at the entrance to the Federal Bldg security checkpoint near SF City Hall?" political commentator Richie Greenberg tweeted.

"Why is this city such racist trash? You demand Ann Hsu resign who didn’t use the N-word, she didn’t do anything wrong & here this guy uses the N-word “multiple times” & Collins who did the same!!! Where’s the f***ing recall demand for Shamann Walton— Hello?" one Twitter user complained.

"Shamann Walton should resign. And if the @NaacpSf @sfbos @dccc and everybody else who called for Ann Hsu's resignation are going to be hypocritical and aren't going to call for Walton's then at the very minimum, they need to retract their call for Hsu's resignation," another alleged.

"Shamann Walton who is quick to call out alleged racist language and actions carried out by others, yelled at a cadet, who is African American, and said, "it is ‘N-word like you that looks like me that is always the problem” referring to the security checks. What a hypocrite!" someone else added

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.