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Thomas Burke, who was ready to assume the reins in January as chief of Farrell’s newly reconstituted police department, resigned Wednesday in the wake of a controversy created when it was disclosed recently that he had used a variation of the N-word in an e-mail last April.
Farrell Mayor Olive McKeithan said that city leaders, including herself, asked Burke to resign, and he agreed. McKeithan said that there had been a lot of tension in the city and that the decision would be the best thing for the city.
McKeithan declined to comment when asked why she was in favor of keeping Burke in office but later changed her mind.
Thomas Burke gave a public apology Monday after he admitted to using a variant of the n-word in an email.
“To everybody here, to everybody out there, my deepest. I cannot tell you, from the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry. I apologize deeply,” he said.
Burke also apologized for his lack of judgment when the initial email was sent.
The city of Farrell decided in September to break off from the Southwest Mercer Regional Police District and form its own police department. Burke was going to start the job Jan. 1.
Agencies/Canadajournal
