Two men who phoned in back-to-back racially offensive comments during Monday’s Ceres City Council meeting prompted Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez to shut down further public comments via Zoom.

The stunning remarks were uttered after citizen input was called for regarding unmet transit needs in the county. One individual identified as Jim Atkinson asked for clarification if the discussion was about government funded transportation and went on to use offensive and racially disparaging terms for those who use the city bus. The remark dropped jaws in the audience, including Jean Foletta, StanCOG’s Director of Mobility Programs, standing at the podium.

“Could you please disconnect that guy right there,” Mayor Lopez told City Clerk Fallon Martin who controls the Zoom panel. “What is wrong with you, dude? You will be removed, Mr. Atkinson. What kind of stuff is that? You gotta be kidding me. That’s a first in my entire time I’ve been here on the City Council.”

A second caller seemed serious in his remarks about unmet needs but then trolled, “We need to purchase as many cattle cars that we can to ship these n*****s and k***s back to their homeland where they came….”

Lopez immediately shut the caller down. Suspecting others were waiting to pull a similar stunt, the mayor called the two callers “a bunch of clowns” and ordered an end to public comments via Zoom due ro the lack of decorum. His order was backed by City Attorney Nubia Goldstein “for now” because of “the breach of decorum.”

The indignant mayor sent a message to the hoaxsters, saying, “You’re lucky that you are on Zoom because if you were here present that would have never happened.”

Later Mayor Lopez allowed callers whose name he recognized.