Plano City Council has called a special meeting for noon Sunday to discuss the future of a council member who came under fire this week for his anti-Islam post on Facebook.
Councilman Tom Harrison, who represents Place 7, apologized Wednesday night for sharing the video. Hours earlier, Mayor Harry LaRosiliere called for Harrison’s resignation at a press conference. LaRosiliere said the 73-year-old council member is unfit to serve based on his actions — actions that don’t represent the greater Plano community.
Harrison shared the video on his Facebook page Tuesday night. It shows images of students wearing hijabs in classrooms and says: “Share if you think Trump should ban Islam in American schools.” It comes from a Facebook group called, “Joined Hands Across America For Trump.”
In his apology posted on Facebook the next day, he said sharing the video “wrongfully implied I am anti-Muslim.”
His statement continues: “My intent on inputting this on my personal Facebook page was to emphasize that Christianity is not the only religion being targeted for exclusion in our public school. It was not meant as a personal attack against the Islamic faith.”
He did not respond to the mayor’s demand for his resignation.
Sunday’s meeting agenda calls for council members "to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee, re: Council Member, Place 7," in closed session.
According to the Dallas Morning News: “The council will return to open session to take any action that results from that closed-door meeting. If Harrison does not resign, the only other way he could be removed is through a recall election.”
Harrison was elected to a four-year term in May 2015.
Harrison’s original post was deleted Wednesday before the press conference.
