Everett city councilor, whom the mayor at first said was only a racist when among friends, resigns

Anthony DiPierro, an Everett city councilor and relative of Mayor Carlo DeMaria, resigned today, after video emerged recently of a Zoom call in which he went full on racist in what was supposed to be a private discussion with other city officials.

My actions have clearly hurt a city that I love, and am proud to call home.

My resignation as Ward 3 Councilor will allow our community to continue its path of growth, without distraction.

I take full responsibility for my actions, and encourage others who participated in this hurtful, insensitive banter, to also do the right thing and step down from their positions in city government.

DeMaria initially gave the most blandest criticism possible of his cousin's kid - he called the comments wrong but added it's not like he said them in public.

But today, he called his relative's comments "inexcusable conduct" - at least in public and not on what participants thought was a private Zoom meeting on which they could make jokes about finding Black people to attend city events to prove Everett doesn't have a racist bone in its entire municipal body. The comments were especially inexcusable in Everett, which, the mayor said, is so incredibly diverse and welcoming,

Also resigning: DeMaria's communications director, Deanna Deveney, who was captured on the Zoom call jokingly asking DiPierro to bring one of his "dark friends" to city events.

Today, at least, DeMaria said:

These actions have caused deep pain in our community. I have spoken to and heard from residents and we all believe that significant, visible action must be taken in order for true healing to begin in Everett.