FRAMINGHAM – An area Democrat promised to wait a town council assembly to say sorry for complaining about the price of particular schooling for kids with disabilities who aren’t aborted, however he skipped out after irate oldsters and incapacity advocates introduced a protest.
Michael Hugo, the chair of the Framingham Democratic Committee mentioned all over a Feb. 7, Framingham, Massachusetts, town council assembly that particular wishes kids who don’t seem to be aborted are a monetary drain to the varsity machine. In a letter to the council the similar evening, he promised to wait the following assembly to say sorry in individual, then issued a written apology to the general public after 10 days of backlash
“I thought he would be here this evening because he said he would be here this evening and would apologize publicly,” town council chair Philip Ottaviani mentioned all over Tuesday’s assembly. “I know he mentioned the other night he’d be in D.C., and tonight he texted me that he was in D.C. and unable to attend.”
Hugo instructed Fox News he hadn’t deliberate to wait the assembly. He mentioned he was once at a dinner reception with senators and participants of Congress and that he was once in Washington, D.C. to request further investment for more than a few native methods.
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Hugo, added that he was once puzzled about when the Framingham City council met.
Hugo declined to make himself to be had for an interview.
Ottaviani mentioned all over Tuesday’s assembly that if he made remarks like Hugo’s, “there would be people calling for me to leave the room and not come back.”
“My wife would be telling me the same thing,” he added
Framingham City Council Chair Philip Ottaviani responds to Michael Hugo at a Feb. 28 town council assembly. (Fox News)
‘Supplying lots and lots of special services to the children who were born with the defect’
Hugo’s preliminary feedback involved a possible town council proclamation about get right of entry to to abortion and disaster being pregnant facilities in Framingham. He expressed fear over unborn small children having misdiagnosed defects that can result in a disabled kid being born and inflicting pressure on a faculty finances.
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“That becomes a very local issue because our school budget will have to absorb the cost of a child in special education, supplying lots and lots of special services to the children who were born with the defect,” Hugo mentioned on the Feb. 7 assembly.
Immediately in a while, Hugo despatched a letter to the council declaring that he would attend the following assembly.
“I intend to appear before the City Council in your next meeting to personally apologize for the way my statement sounded, and to offer a more detailed explanation,” he wrote within the Feb. 7 letter.
On Feb. 17, Hugo apologized to the Framingham Democratic Committee and to participants of the Massachusetts town’s incapacity circle of relatives neighborhood, calling his feedback “offensive and hurtful.” Hugo mentioned the committee didn’t assessment his deliberate remarks, even though he despatched them out the evening prior to town council assembly.
The Framingham Democratic Committee rejected a movement on Sunday to incorporate a dialogue about probably getting rid of Hugo at a long term assembly, even though the participants voted unanimously to sentence his remarks. Ottaviani, town council chair who is additionally a member of the committee, voted in want of the hassle.
“If Mr. Hugo had stepped down and we had leadership on the Framingham Dems, this would have gone away,” Ottaviani mentioned all over Tuesday’s town council assembly. “All I wanted was a discussion to move forward but its loud and clear that no one is resigning.”
Laura Green with fellow demonstrators out of doors Framingham City Hall protesting feedback from Michael Hugo. (Fox News)
Shortly prior to Tuesday’s town council assembly — the only Hugo to start with mentioned he’d attend — neighborhood participants, oldsters and native officers protested out of doors town corridor in to turn improve for the incapacity neighborhood.
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Mike Cannon, a Democratic town councilman who attended the protest, instructed Fox News that the Framingham Democratic Committee’s failure to go a movement simply discussing disregarding Huge “send a strong message to a lot of people in our community that maybe those comments haven’t been as strongly dismissed as they should’ve been.”
“I think that group needs a change of chair and a change of executive committee,” Cannon added.
Framingham City Councilmember Mike Cannon instructed Fox News that the talk over Mike Hugo does “not appear to be going away.” (Fox News)
‘Not going to belabor the issue further’
Hugo, who was once in Washington D.C. all over the assembly, additionally declined to Zoom into the assembly.
In a textual content message equipped to Fox News, Ottaviani requested Hugo all over the assembly if he could be calling in.
“I am in DC and I am unable to join you. I issued my apology the night of your meeting and am not going to belabor the issue further. I am at a dinner reception for a couple of Congress members and 3 senators,” Hugo spoke back.
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Cannon instructed Fox News that it is extremely commonplace for visitors and participants to Zoom into conferences.
“I expected him to come or at the very least dial in, anyone can connect via Zoom,” Cannon instructed Fox News. “Based on what I hear from the community, this issue does not appear to be going away.”
Michael Hugo, an area democratic legitimate in Framingham, Massachusetts, puzzled the prices of kids with down syndrome on his town who aren’t aborted. (BSIP/Universal Images Group by the use of Getty Images)
Hugo’s absence supposed that he neglected evaluations from indignant oldsters all over Tuesday’s town council assembly.
“A well-educated attorney should never think that a woman that gives birth to a child with a disability has just produced a burden,” mentioned Cheryl Caira, whose daughter went throughout the Framingham public faculty machine with down syndrome.
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Parents protest out of doors town corridor
Susie Santone a disabled lady from Framingham on the protest, mentioned she was once disenchanted about critics making the placement a partisan factor.
Protest signal out of doors Framingham town corridor calling for Michael Hugo to renounce following his debatable feedback on abortion. (Fox News)
“It’s not about Democrat, it’s not about Republican, it’s about the children,” she mentioned. “People are so entrenched in the political side of it that they are forgetting about the children.”
“You can apologize as much as you want but you have to back it up,” Santone added. “If you’re going to make an apology there has to be an action behind the apology otherwise they’re just blank words and there has been no action.”
She added that Hugo must step down to turn “he understands the impact that his comment made.”
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And Jannett Leombruno, town council’s vice chair who additionally attended the protest, mentioned many neighborhood participants did not really feel Hugo’s apology was once sufficient. She mentioned he must renounce.
“These kids have a right to be born,” she added, getting emotional. “We need to stand up for them.”
Jon Fetherston stands with a son announcing his son isn’t a burden following Michael Hugo’s remarks about abortion and particular wishes schooling. (Fox News)
Jon Fetherston, who arranged the demonstration, instructed Fox News he was once disenchanted Hugo didn’t display up.
“His insincere apology and ability to not even come and face the city council tonight shows you the true character of Michael Hugo. His character is flawed and I’m extremely disappointed,” Fetherston mentioned. “It just proved once again that his apology is extremely disingenuous.”
“He didn’t even have the dignity to pick up the phone and call and apologize to the city council, so I think his actions speak so much louder than his pathetic words,” Fetherston added.
Hugo’s time period expires in April 2024.
Fox News reached out to Hugo for remark about why he didn’t attend the assembly. He answered with a photograph of a Congressional House Office Building go dated March 1.
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“I am here to ask for increased local funding for housing, nutrition, mental healthcare and educational mental health and nutritional services,” Hugo mentioned in a followup e mail. “I am here to do the work and as much as I wanted to be able to be at the council meeting last night, I have responsibilities to people who I can advocate for and who are unable to advocate for themselves.”
He didn’t give an explanation for why he did not Zoom into the assembly or if he’ll attend a long term assembly.
To be informed extra concerning the backlash to Hugo, click on right here.
