Pamela Ramsey Taylor, a West Virginia official who was fired from her job after calling First Lady Michelle Obama an “ape in heels,” has been officially fired — again — following earlier reports that she had been reinstated, KSNV (Las Vegas) is reporting .
Back in November, as reported by the Inquisitr , Taylor became the subject of intense criticism after an exchange with a friend on social media. Taylor was the director of the Clay County Development Corp, which provides services to elderly and low-income residents in the rural, impoverished West Virginia county. Her friend, Beverly Whaling, was the mayor of the town of Clay (population: approximately 500).
What does a racist look like? Pamela Ramsey Taylor getting paid big bucks in government funded job. pic.twitter.com/71mFhT7FwQ
— Jerry Thompson (@IronHorseRails) December 14, 2016
In a post that has since been deleted, Taylor took to Facebook to make known her feelings about the election of Donald Trump — and by extension, the elevation of Melania Trump to First Lady. Even though the original post is gone, the Huffington Post was able to save a screenshot.
Official removed from post after calling Michelle Obama “ape in heels” https://t.co/FS8q2OaACt pic.twitter.com/gDsdP32DJ0
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) November 15, 2016
Before the post was deleted, Whaling weighed in on Taylor’s post.
“Just made my day Pam.”
Taylor later deleted the post and replaced it with an apology, but it was too late , according to WSAZ (Huntington). Within hours, an online petition had popped up calling for the firing of both Taylor and Whaling (Whaling would later resign).
She later submitted her resignation.
It appears, however, that Taylor’s resignation was not the final word when it came to her employment with the Clay County Development Corp. On December 10, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported that Taylor was going to get her job back.
What happened between mid-November, when she resigned, and mid-December, when it was announced that Taylor was getting her job back, is not clear as of this writing. Gazette-Mail writer Ali Schmitz reported that, prior to her reinstatement, Taylor had been “on suspension,” suggesting that her resignation was never accepted and that her employer merely suspended her for a few weeks prior to re-hiring her.
Nevertheless, Clay County Development Corp. acting manager Leslie McGlothin sent a letter to the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, stating that Taylor was scheduled to return to work on Friday, December 23.
That didn’t sit well with Cynthia Beane, acting commissioner for the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services, according to WCHS (Charleston). She responded to the news of Taylor’s pending reinstatement with a letter of her own .
“It has been brought to our attention that Pam Taylor has been reinstated with the Clay Development Corp. In light of recent events surrounding Ms. Taylor that made national media, it is incumbent on both the Bureau of Medical Services and the Bureau of Senior Services to receive specific assurances that no actions of discrimination/harassment will be conducted or viewed as acceptable practices within the work of environment for the Clay Development Corp.”
Beane isn’t the only West Virginia state official to have been alarmed at Taylor’s purported reinstatement. It appears that the matter reached the Governor’s desk, as well. On Monday, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced that he has been assured that Taylor will not be getting her old job back.
“Following the state’s request for specific assurances that the CCDC is following anti-discrimination policies, we have been assured that Pamela Taylor has been removed from her position as CCDC director.”
As of this writing, Pamela Ramsey Taylor has declined repeated requests for comment about her purported reinstatement and second firing.
[Featured Image by KieferPix /Shutterstock]
