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Leavenworth County commissioner called on to resign after 'master race' comments

Posted at 10:05 PM, Nov 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-15 08:44:25-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Leavenworth County Commissioner is once again calling for his colleague to resign after a county commission meeting Tuesday. 

The commissioners had been listening to a land-use study and commenting on the presentation. 

At one point during his comments, commissioner Louis Klemp addressed an African-American woman who had just presented the study. 

"I don’t want you to think I am picking on you because we are part of the master race. You have a gap in your teeth. We are part of the master race, don’t you forget that," Klemp said.  

"I was shocked. I was in disbelief," said commissioner Robert Holland. "He should resign. I don't care if he's got two days left, he should resign." 

41 Action News received an email about Klemp's comments and tried to contact the commissioner several times by phone. 

He would not speak on camera when 41 Action News knocked on his door. Instead, off-camera he implied his comment was a joke. 

This is not the first time the commissioner's remarks have sparked controversy. 

Last year, while discussing the county's holiday schedule, Klemp made controversial remarks about Robert E. Lee and George Washington. 

"Not everybody does them all because we have Robert E. Lee...Oh God Robert E. Lee...wonderful part of history," Klemp said at the time. 

"It bothers me that if we're going to have Martin Luther King Day, why don't we have a George Washington? I think George was a pretty important guy," he later added. 

Klemp was appointed as commissioner after Clyde Graeber resigned for health reasons.

Klemp's last day as commissioner is Jan. 15. 

"I'm ashamed of one of our commissioners and what he has done. We shouldn't be labeled as Leavenworth County, the racist county. That's the way I feel we are being labeled," said Holland.