Temecula mayor quits council after email about police, racism

Temecula’s mayor quit the post and the city council late Thursday, June 4, after a day of criticism for an email in which he says he mistakenly wrote he didn’t “believe there’s ever been a good person of color killed by a police officer.”

Earlier in the day, James “Stew” Stewart, who said he dictates messages because he has dyslexia, said the word “good” accidentally got added to an email he dictated Tuesday to a resident asking what the city was doing about police violence and racism against blacks.

That email was posted on social media and led to an outcry online, calls for his resignation from residents and at least one organization and plans for a protest march Friday, June 5. Stewart said Thursday afternoon he was considering stepping down and would decide Friday.

Instead, after 9:30 p.m., the city issued a news release saying he would immediately leave the city council. The release contained his apology to residents and colleagues.

“City of Temecula, I hear you, I agree with you, and I am deeply sorry,” his statement began.

“You have every right to be hurt and offended. My typos and off-the-cuff response to an email on a serious topic added pain at a time where our community, and our country, is suffering. I may not be the best writer and I sometimes misspeak, but I am not racist.”

“I understand that even my sincerest apologies cannot remedy this situation. Because actions speak louder than words, I will step down as your Mayor and City Council Member effective immediately.”

Earlier Thursday, Stewart said his email referred to police actions in Temecula and the surrounding area, and that he “absolutely” did not say the word “good” when preparing the message. As he composed the email late at night after a long day’s work, Stewart said he could not remember a Temecula-area example of police fatally shooting a black person.

He apologized Wednesday night in a Facebook post.

Stewart, who moved to Temecula in 1991 from Illinois, owns barber shops and was elected to a four-year term in November 2016.

The controversy arose during a week marked by protests — including in Temecula — and vigils in the Inland Empire and beyond sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where police officers have been charged in his death.

In the release, Mayor Pro Tem Maryann Edwards said the city accepted his resignation and called Stewart “a hard-working and honest man.”

“Temecula is poised to close this chapter, and continue our long-term commitment to denounce and prevent racial injustice in any form,” Edwards said in the release.

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