City Council Updates
Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez publicly apologized Tuesday night for reposting social media content that included antisemitic tropes, as the council voted to recognize his participation in antisemitism training but rejected an effort to censure the mayor after hours of contentious debate.
“It’s difficult to apologize, not because one is insincere, but because there are people who are not ready to accept an apology,” Martinez said as he opened the agenda item. “The problem with making apologies is that, especially to a large group, is that everyone needs to hear something different.”
A censure effort returns as Richmond’s mayor offers his own remedy
The Richmond City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to formally censure Mayor Eduardo Martinez for sharing social media content that community leaders say promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories. This comes as Martinez submitted his own agenda item proposing a “restorative process” including antisemitism training. The censure resolution, sponsored by Vice
Soren Hemmila
Martinez read a prepared statement addressed to Jewish residents of Richmond and the broader community, saying, “I owe you a clear and unambiguous apology.” Martinez said antisemitism “is real” and “creates fear, isolation and danger for Jewish people, including right here in Richmond.”
Read the mayor’s full written apology
To Jewish community members of Richmond, and to our broader community:
I owe you a clear and unambiguous apology.
Antisemitism is real. It is not abstract or theoretical — it creates fear, isolation, and danger for Jewish people, including right here in Richmond. As mayor, my words carry weight. In this instance, I failed to meet the responsibility that my position requires. I reposted content online that included antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, which have long been used to dehumanize Jewish people and justify violence against them. I was wrong to share them, and I take full responsibility for the harm I caused. I regret the content I reposted, and I am deeply sorry. Racism and bigotry of any kind have no place in our city.
My apology is also dedicated to the people who felt they had to choose between taking concerns of antisemitism seriously, or continuing to support me and the larger vision of justice we strive toward. We must be clear that we will not allow antisemitism in our movements, nor will we allow antisemitism to be weaponized against progressive causes. It is legitimate and important to critique political ideologies and power structures — but it is never acceptable to invoke dehumanizing ideas. I have been outspoken in my criticism of the Israeli government. By allowing valid criticism of Israel’s policies and actions to drift into incorrect and unsubstantiated claims, I regret that I compromised the integrity of the Palestinian solidarity movement.
Here in Richmond, we are serious about confronting racism in every form, and I am grateful that the public is holding me accountable. I received direct, constructive engagement from Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller from Temple Beth Hillel, who responded with honesty and care. She met with me face to face to help me understand, on a human level, why what I reposted was antisemitic, how it landed, and how it contributed to fear among some Jewish members of our community. She also guided me toward concrete steps to begin repairing the harm I caused.
Rabbi Saxe-Taller’s leadership reflects the very best of Richmond — a commitment to mutual respect and collaboration. I also sought advice from Rabbi Yitzchok Wagner and Rabbi Cat Zavis and will follow their recommendations to study the history of antisemitism. I understand that learning alone is not the same as repair. But learning is essential if repair is to be real and lasting.
Richmond is a proud multi-faith community, and our city is strong because we meet our challenges together. I believe in a future we can be proud of — not because we avoided mistakes, but because we faced them together with courage and honesty.
“As mayor, my words carry weight,” Martinez said. “In this instance, I failed to meet the responsibility that my position requires. I reposted content online that included antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, which have long been used to dehumanize Jewish people and justify violence against them. I was wrong to share them.”
Martinez said he took “full responsibility for the harm I caused” and described meetings with several rabbis, including Rabbi Julie Saxe-Teller, who he said helped him understand “on a human level, why what I reposted was antisemitic, how it landed, and how it contributed to fear among some Jewish members of our community.”
Richmond mayor’s social media posts spark controversy: the media coverage
The recent controversy surrounding Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez has drawn scrutiny from a wide range of local, regional, and international news outlets. The media coverage focuses on a central debate: whether Martinez’s social media activity was a “careless mistake” or a “dangerous pattern of conduct.” Last week, Martinez engaged
Soren Hemmila
Public comment followed, with dozens of speakers weighing in on both a restorative process and formal discipline. Several speakers urged the council to give the mayor an opportunity to learn and repair relationships, while others said an apology alone was insufficient and that the council needed to formally condemn antisemitism through a censure.
Following public comment, Martinez introduced a motion to recognize his participation in antisemitism training led by trainers recommended by Temple Beth Hillel leadership, direct him to meet at least two more times with Rabbi Saxe-Teller in the first quarter of the year, and require him to issue a public apology at a council meeting and in a local newspaper.
Richmond mayor controversy dominates meeting after emergency item rejected
The Richmond City Council swiftly cleared new business items from its agenda Tuesday night, sent city staff home, and spent hours hearing public comment focused on Mayor Eduardo Martinez and the council’s failed effort to formally censure him for controversial social media posts. Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda and Councilmember Jamelia
Soren Hemmila
Martinez initially proposed requiring all council members to attend the training, but that language drew objections. Councilmember Sue Wilson suggested a friendly amendment stating that most council members had voluntarily agreed to attend instead.
“I want to make sure that I am there,” Wilson said. “I think we all have a lot to learn.”
Councilmember Jamelia Brown said the council’s response failed to adequately address the harm caused by the mayor’s actions, arguing that education and training alone did not replace the need for formal accountability.
“I believe that the city council has the obligation to formally acknowledge that. Name the harm and set clear boundaries for the unacceptable conduct that took place using the only tool that’s afforded to us by the charter, which is a censure,” Brown said.
Councilmember Cesar Zepeda moved to fold a censure into the original agenda item, but the amendment failed after a split vote. The council then approved the original motion, as amended, on a 6-1 vote, with Brown voting no.
The council agreed to continue a separate censure resolution at a future meeting but did not select a date.
YOU GET MORE WITH A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
Your subscription enables Grandview Independent to deliver more:
- More time devoted to in-depth reporting
- Longer, more comprehensive stories
- Greater coverage of what matters to our community
Quality journalism costs money. Subscriptions allow us to keep reporting the stories that matter, without paywalls getting in the way of critical community information.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE - Starting at just $10/month
FOLLOW US FOR BREAKING NEWS:
• Twitter: @GrandviewIndy
• Instagram: @GrandviewIndependent
• Facebook: @Grandview Independent
Copyright © 2025 Grandview Independent, all rights reserved.
Members Discussion