Springfield officials apologize for Trump joke that mentioned Haitians shooting at Ohio's DeWine

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck apologized Tuesday, Sept. 27, for a joke told by a city employee during a public meeting Monday night

The worker joked: "If you see DeWine coming up from the basement, you need to shoot him because he's Haitian."

Heck said in a statement that the joke was "offensive and inappropriate" and that the city does not condone such behavior.

Heck added the city will take "appropriate disciplinary action" against the employee

The joke was made during a discussion about the city's budget

DeWine is a Republican who has been governor of Ohio since 2019

He is of Haitian descent

The joke was met with laughter from some in the audience

DeWine has not commented on the joke

The Haitian community in Springfield has been outraged by the joke

The Haitian American Caucus of Ohio has called for the employee to be fired

The caucus said in a statement that the joke was "a racist and xenophobic attack on the Haitian community"

The caucus added that the joke "perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Haitians"

The city of Springfield has a large Haitian population

According to the 2020 census, 5.5% of Springfield's population is Haitian

The Haitian community in Springfield is well-integrated into the city

Many Haitians in Springfield own businesses and are active in the community

The joke made by the city employee has damaged the relationship between the city and the Haitian community

The city will need to take steps to rebuild trust with the Haitian community

The city could start by issuing a formal apology to the Haitian community

The city could also hold a community meeting to discuss the issue

The city could also create a task force to address the issue of racism and xenophobia in the city