Web posted
Monday, October 6, 2008
CASA offers apology for its role in incident
CASA of Cowley County has issued a formal apology for allowing a contestant at its Men In Tights fundraiser to appear with a vulgar name and in a potentially racially offensive manner.
The apology came after a phone meeting on Friday that included local and national CASA officials and the president of the area NAACP.
The controversy centered on a character portrayed by Arkansas City Mayor Mell Kuhn in CASA's annual fundraiser where men dress as women for a spoof beauty pageant.
"Regrettably, on this occasion, one contestant chose a stage name and appeared in a way that was inappropriate, offensive and entirely at odds with the CASA program's standards of inclusiveness and equality," a press release issued Monday morning from Russ Tomevi, CASA's board president, states.
"While that performer has apologized, our CASA program also regrets that it was not more attentive to the show's content. ?We apologize to any who were understandably offended."???????
Kuhn, who issued an apology last week after public criticism, portrayed a character he said he modeled after a black woman from movies. He also named the character a derogatory slang word for a female body part.
The judges, who are not members of CASA, gave him the top award of the night -- Ms. CASA, and most creative talent.
"We intend to review all of our practices related to this fundraiser to ensure that in the future it can and will be operated without offense and in line with our high standards of community responsibility," the statement reads. "The last thing we would want would be to have our fundraising efforts distract from our critical mission of ensuring that foster children find safe, permanent homes."
Kevin Myles, president of the area NAACP, said the phone conference on Friday went well. The NAACP and CASA have had a good relationship, he said. The call included National CASA CEO Mike Piraino, Myles said.
"Mike wanted to let it be known that this was something that was frowned upon within CASA," Myles said. "I know that this was not something that was endemic to their organization. CASA is a great organization."
CASA Cowley County director Linda Groth said last week that neither she, nor other CASA officials, noticed anything offensive about Kuhn's act. After being interviewed about the complaints, however, Groth said she understood and apologized if anybody was offended.
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