New Jersey School Board Member Calls South Orange Police Chief A "Skinhead" During Traffic Stop

​@PoliceEncountersUS #StephanieLawsonMuhammad #Skinhead #SouthOrangeMaplewoodSchoolDistrict #SouthOrangeMaplewoodPolice #NewJerseySchoolBoardMember #KyleKroll #ShaunHorst @southorangemaplewoodschool1641

May 17, 2018
Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad is heard using profanity, complaining when issued a ticket by Officer Shaun Horst and calling the South Orange Police Chief Kyle Kroll a "skinhead cop."

The New Jersey school board member who faced pressure to resign after being accused of trying to “manipulate” a cop during a traffic stop said she has personally apologized to the police chief that she was caught on video calling a “skinhead.”

“I had an irrational response to being stopped for a traffic violation. I allowed my emotions to overwhelm me that morning, and I fell short of the standards to which I hold myself,” Lawson-Muhammad said in a statement obtained by media outlets.

“I have personally apologized to Chief Kyle Kroll who, like me, is passionate about our community,” Lawson-Muhammad said. “He sincerely accepted my apology and agrees that we will work together to help heal our community. We have begun plans to work with community stakeholders to build stronger bonds and greater trust for the entire community.”

Lawson-Muhammad added that "like many parents, I was trying to get my children to their schools on time" when she was pulled over.

The board’s president, Elizabeth Baker, said in a separate statement that she wanted “to thank Chief Kroll for his willingness to meet with Ms. Lawson-Muhammad and accept her apology” and that “this meeting reflects the beginning of a difficult, restorative dialogue.”

Baker also said she encouraged Lawson-Muhammad to apologize to Kroll.

Lawson-Muhammad’s behavior was blasted in a letter sent to the school board by the SOMA Black Parents Workshop, an advocacy group that called for her resignation.

“Under no circumstances is this behavior, from a public servant no less, acceptable,” said its chairman, Walter Fields. “Ms. Lawson-Muhammad must resign her position.

“When viewing the video, it is clear that Board Member Lawson-Muhammad attempted to exercise her civic privilege during a routine traffic stop,” the letter continued. “Board Member Lawson-Muhammad also infers that she is afraid of police, a reference that I believe attempts to manipulate the officer given the tensions between the African-American community and law enforcement.”

Lawson-Muhammad on also joined a chorus of praise for the officer in the video, who displayed a cool and calm demeanor throughout the incident.

“To my benefit, the officer did not react to my behavior. The officer kept an even tone in our interaction and performed his job well under the circumstances,” she said. “I thank him for his patience.”

UPDATE: March 29, 2019
The New Jersey State Department of Education School Ethics Commission ruled Tuesday that South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad's emotional, race-related meltdown during a traffic stop last April was a violation of their code of conduct.

They recommended a six-month suspension for the infraction, and Lawson-Muhammad has 13 days to take exception to the sanctions and 30 days to appeal the Commission's findings. In a statement to the Village Green, Lawson-Muhammad said that she didn't feel the Commission could judge her.

"We are deeply disappointed with the decision issued by the Ethics Commission. Their action delegitimizes, disregards and belittles the very real and justified fear, anxiety, disorientation and even trauma that is nearly always experienced during even a routine traffic stop, particularly if that motorist is African American," she wrote. "The commission members were completely ill-suited to judge my fear and the real intentions of my words. They lacked corroborating evidence, expertise and, most especially, personal experience. I am in the process of considering my options.”

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