US sheriff quits over racist remarks on Sikh attorney general

A senior law enforcement official in a county of the US state of New Jersey has resigned after an outcry over the racist remarks he made about Gurbir Grewal, America’s first Sikh attorney general.

The furore erupted after several audio clips were posted of Bergen County sheriff Michael Saudino’s remarks from January 16, following Phil Murphy’s inauguration as the governor of New Jersey.

Saudino and the four undersheriffs resigned on Friday, a day after the recording which was obtained by the radio station WNYC was published, the New York Times reported.

Saudino, a Democrat who was in his third term, yielded to intense political pressure led by Murphy.

In the audio, Saudino is heard saying that Murphy “didn’t (appoint Grewal) because of Bergen County, he did that because of the turban”. He also made several disparaging comments about the African American community.

At the time of the incident, Saudino was the Bergen County prosecutor.

The comments brought condemnation across the state, but Saudino initially offered only an apology and made no mention of leaving his position.

Following Saudino’s resignation, Murphy said he intended to “appoint an interim sheriff who can rebuild the public’s trust” in the county.

Grewal called the resignation “an important first step in repairing the relationship between the Bergen County sheriff’s office and the diverse communities it serves.”

“But our work does not stop there. The fact that a top official could make racist comments about the African-American community — and that no one in the room would challenge or correct him — raises serious concerns,” he said. AGENCIES

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