A Leavenworth County Commissioner is taking heat after making inflammatory comments at the Nov. 15 meeting that included saying he was “part of the master race.”
His remarks were directed to an African American woman at a public commission meeting. Commissioner Louis Klemp told the woman, “I don’t want you to think I’m picking on you because we’re part of the master race.”
Klemp is a White man who was not elected but rather appointed to his seat by the local Republican committee. He had previously served as an elected commissioner several years ago.
The City Commission convened a special meeting that same evening to address the issue. It doesn’t have any authority over the County Commission, but issued a statement condemning the remarks and calling for Klemp’s resignation and apology.
The Leavenworth County Commission only has three members, and the other two have publicly called for Klemp’s resignation, too. He is reportedly supposed to leave the post anyway on Jan. 15.
Some are calling his comments “insensitive” and “racist”.
“You know you got a gap in your teeth. We’re part of the master race,” Klemp reportedly said (several outlets are reporting variations of his statement). “Don’t ever forget that.” He also has a gap in his teeth and reportedly has mentioned it in previous meetings.
The woman, Triveece Penelton, was at the meeting to present on behalf of an landscape and architectural firm, Vireo, which was hired to do a land use study for a County Road 1 corridor, according to the Leavenworth Times. She has asked to not comment to media.
Commissioner Bob Holland said the bizarre observations had nothing to do with the agenda.
“What’s this master race,” Bob Holland said. “None of us are master race. We’re all American and we’re all human beings.”
Holland condemned Klemp last year after he made bigoted comments as the commission voted to approve county holidays.
“Not everybody does them all because you know we have Robert E Lee,” Klemp said in November 2017. “Oh, God Robert E Lee wonderful part of history.”
“I’m going to be honest with you,” Klemp also said, “my great-great grandfather had a slave.”
He also said, some black people didn’t like former President Abe Lincoln because he didn’t go through with the emancipation.
“I think Martin Luther did some good things,” Klemp said.
“If we’re going to have Martin Luther King Day, why don’t we have a George Washington? I think George was a pretty important guy,” he said, before going on to ask if Oprah Winfrey would be given a holiday.
Holland said at the time Klemp had “embarrassed” the county with this remarks.
“Mr. Klemp certainly embarrassed Leavenworth County to the extreme,” Holland stated. “I just believe that he embarrassed himself, his family and our Leavenworth County taxpayers.”
“I think he is a racist myself. I do,” Holland said. “I think he owes an apology to that woman. I think he owes an apology to the whole commission and the county.”
– News Services