Missouri Town Elects Black Woman as Mayor, Most of the Cops Quit

A small city in Missouri has elected their first black woman as mayor, which is wonderful news—except as a result, nearly all of the police, the city attorney, the clerk, and the water treatment supervisor have quit.

In Parma, Missouri, Tyrus Byrd defeated outgoing Mayor Randall Ramsey who’d been in that position for 37 years, according to KFVS Heartland News. Ramsey said that none of the city workers shared with him that they were leaving however in their resignation letters, they cite “safety concerns” as the reason for their departures.

Mayor-elect Byrd hasn’t commented on the mass walk out and says she hasn’t even seen the resignation letters nor has the KFVS reporter who went to find the papers at City Hall.

To be honest, I can’t tell if this little town (population: under 800) is boasting racist brass who don’t want to work for a black woman or if these employees are just rankled at the idea of working for someone other than Ramsey, who’s been their boss for probably as long as some people have been working. Maybe it’s a little of both.