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CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. (WBBMSTNG) - Barack Obama's campaign reportedly has persuaded a delegate to step down after calling her neighbor's African-American children "monkeys" in scolding them for climbing a tree.
Carpentersville village trustee, Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski was elected as an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
On Saturday, she told two neighbor children to stop playing in a tree next to her house.
Ramirez-Sliwinski admits she used the word "monkeys," but said she did not intend racism. She said she was only trying to protect them from falling out of the tree.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Barack Obama's campaign felt her remarks were "divisive and unacceptable" and persuaded her to step aside as a delegate.
Ramirez-Sliwinski was charged with disorderly conduct after making the allegedly racist remark.
Village police said they issued Ramirez-Sliwinski a $75 ticket on Monday charging her with disorderly conduct after she admonished her neighbors' children for climbing a tree near her home on Sparrow Road, referring to them as "monkeys."
Patrol officers were summoned to the home after the children complained to their parents, said Cmdr. Michael Kilbourne of the Carpentersville Police Department.
"Officers observed the parents were very upset and stated that the comment allegedly made by Ramirez-Sliwinski was racist, due the fact that their children are African-American," Kilbourne said.
"The officer did speak to the boys who stated they did get scared in reference to the comment allegedly made towards them," he added.
Kilbourne indicated officers also spoke to Ramirez-Sliwinski, who said she had minor problems with the boys earlier in the day.
"And she did admit to telling the kids to stop playing in the tree like monkeys -- but also said she calls her own grandkids monkeys," Kilbourne stated.
He indicated that Ramirez-Sliwinski was not arrested and that no other action by police is expected.
"It's like having a parking ticket issued," Kilbourne explained.
He said Ramirez-Sliwinski cooperated with the officers and, under the provisions of the village ordinance, will not have to appear in court -- provided she pays the $75 ticket.
Ramirez-Sliwinski, who did not return a phone call Monday seeking comment. She is serving her first term on the village board, which expires in April 2009, and has been the board's most vocal opponent to attempts to pass anti-illegal immigration rules in the village.
Last week, Ramirez-Sliwinski tried to get fellow Trustee Paul Humpfer kicked off the village board in the wake of his domestic battery conviction.
She attempted to get a resolution passed at last Tuesday's village board meeting declaring Humpfer's seat vacant. Village President William Sarto, who is a political ally of Ramirez-Sliwinski, had urged the board to pass the resolution but it failed for lack of a second.
Ramirez-Sliwinski said the resolution was in response to Humpfer's recent conviction on four misdemeanor counts of domestic battery stemming from a May 2007 incident during which he is accused of striking his wife with a baseball bat.
Sarto and Humpfer also did not return phone calls seeking comment.
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