Mayor: Embattled human rights commission member submits resignation

By NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Thursday, March 5, 2015, 10 p.m. — A member of the Bardstown-Nelson County Commission on Human Rights has turned in his resignation to Bardstown Mayor John Royalty.

In a text message received Thursday night, Royalty said commission member Luke Barlowe has submitted his resignation. The move comes after what commission chair Kathy Reed called “an outburst” by Barlowe at a February meeting directed at newly appointed commission member Amelia Clements.

At its meeting Tuesday, Reed said the commission’s executive committee had asked Barlowe to apologize for the remarks he made to Clements. If Barlowe chose not to apologize to Clements, Reed said the executive committee was prepared to seek his removal from the commission.

Reed said Tuesday she had hoped Barlowe would attend the commission meeting and apologize to Clements. Barlowe stopped by the commission meeting place before the meeting and dropped off the treasurer’s checkbook and other commission materials that were in his possession.

Royalty told the Gazette in a text message he accepted Barlowe’s resignation and thanked him for his service to the community.

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