A mayor in one South Florida county is responding to allegations from a woman who said he held up a paper with the words ‘WTF’ on it during a public meeting.
NBC affiliate WPTV-TV reports Jean-Marie Nacer was criticizing Palm Beach County’s dissemination of health data when she stopped after seeing the county’s mayor, Dave Kerner, holding up the paper with those three letters at the top.
"I'm sorry. You just held up a sign that says 'WTF’,” Nacer said during the county commission meeting. “Show me that sign for public record as I'm speaking to you. It says 'WTF.' I want that on public record."
Kerner did not deny what Nacer alleged.
"This is a record from our counsel, and it has nothing to do with you," he said.
Kerner later attempted to apologize, but Nacer called him “rude”.
"If I can just clarify something," said County Attonrey Denise Nieman. "That was from me to the mayor. It was nothing to do with this proceeding."
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Nacer was given additional time at the podium, which she spent chiding Kerner for holding up the sign. Kerner later sent the station a picture of the paper with a note offering his explanation saying it was presented to him from Nieman on a copy of rules.
"I raised it during the meeting to show her I received it. A lady was testifying at that time about why masks don't need to be worn. She became very upset,” he said. “She thought I was holding up a 'wtf' sign in reference to her anti-mask position. I was not. I apologized to her for the confusion.”
Nacer refuted Kerner, saying that she had not been speaking about masks at the podium and was instead discussing Palm Beach County's dissemination of health data.
Earlier in the meeting, Kerner had asked a woman to leave the commission chambers for refusing to wear a mask despite several warnings.
