Source: The Washington Post

By Michael E. Miller

Howard County Sheriff James F. Fitzgerald is resigning over allegations that he made racist, sexist and anti-Semitic remarks and bullied those who worked for him.

Fitzgerald, a Democrat serving his third term as sheriff, will step down Saturday, according to a statement released Tuesday by County Council Chair Calvin Ball (D). Fitzgerald had been under intense pressure to resign for weeks, including public protests and threats of impeachment by the county’s elected leaders.

The announcement of Fitzgerald’s resignation came just minutes after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) had called for the sheriff to step down.

“I’m very disturbed by the comments,” Hogan said. “I do believe he should resign. I share the opinions of many of the people who think he should resign.”

Under the state’s constitution, the governor will appoint a person to serve out the remaining two years of Fitzgerald’s term.

Fitzgerald, who earned $91,000 a year and managed a department of 69 people, did not respond to a request for comment.

Last month, the county’s Office of Human Rights issued a 48-page report that accused Fitzgerald of disparaging the intelligence of black deputies, using racist gestures and often describing African Americans as “n—–s.” Fitzgerald also allegedly made derogatory comments about women’s breasts and Jewish people, calling former county executive Ken Ulman (D) “little Kenny Jew-boy.”

The human rights investigation was launched in response to a complaint by one of the sheriff’s deputies, who claimed that he had been retaliated against for refusing to support Fitzgerald’s reelection campaign. The deputy later resigned.

The Office of Human Rights report shocked many in a community renowned for its inclusiveness and its “Choose Civility” bumper stickers. The county consistently ranks among the wealthiest counties in the nation, and Columbia, its largest city, was founded in the 1960s as a planned community promoting racial tolerance.

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