PHOENIX β The leader of an Arizona NAACP branch has offered to resign after coming under fire for his comments about a female reporter.
Don Harris, 77, made the comment Wednesday after attending a meeting about Desert Vista High School students who took a photo of themselves spelling out a racial slur on their T-shirts.
Phoenix New Times reporter Ray Stern captured audio of Harris making a crude remark to Stern about a female TV reporter's appearance.
Harris became president of the Maricopa County branch of the NAACP in 2015. He said he emailed the branch's executive board members after the story broke to clear the air and offer his resignation.
Harris told the Arizona Republic that he is leaving the final decision in the board's hands.
"If they want me gone, I'm gone," Harris told the newspaper. "I'm not ducking from anything. I did something stupid and wrong and I'm sorry for it. I can't beat myself forever about it. I said it. And I can't be any more sincere."
The Rev. Jarrett Maupin was facilitating the talks Wednesday. He called for Harris' resignation in a press conference Wednesday.
"I don't know if it was stupidity or white-privilege that caused this white man to say such a sexist and misogynistic thing to or about any woman, particularly a woman of color," Maupin said, according to CBS 5 (KPHO-TV). "Shame on him."
Maricopa County NAACP board member Benjamin Taylor would not comment on any action by the executive board Wednesday, but told The Republic that he had spoken to Harris.
"Don has been a member of the NAACP since the '80s," said Taylor, an attorney. "This is an unfortunate incident that happened and Don feels terrible. I have spoken to him personally and he regrets what happened and he apologizes tremendously."
