ROSS TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Voters in Ross Township chose not to reelect the only incumbent trustee candidate on their ballot, David Young, after he used a racial slur when discussing Cincinnati's viral downtown brawl in July.
Instead, newcomers Donald Bennett and Andrea Hatten clinched the two trustee seats.
Following the downtown brawl, Young shared a video of the incident, adding the caption, "Ten on one is N—R fun." The post now appears to have been deleted from his account.
He also left a comment on another post related to the brawl, saying, "Cincinnati has a problem and they always had a problem with the black citizens. Their (sic) animals and won't change."
That week, trustees held an emergency meeting to discuss Young's comments, where he was asked to read his posts out loud. Young read the statements, including the slur.
Community members and trustees called for Young's resignation. He apologized for offending anyone, but refused to step down, saying Ross Township needed guidance.
"I already made a public apology, I already made amends with my God, and if you have a problem with that, I can't help it," Young said.
We went to that emergency meeting and pressed Young on whether he stood by the comments he made.
Watch: We asked Young if he believed what he said
"I can't stand by my comments if I apologize — I'm admitting fault, am I not?" said Young. "I'm saying that I've done a wrong. And that's what an apology is, I've done a wrong and I hold that wrong. I made a mistake, I apologize for it, I can't revoke what I said. I said what I said, I apologize for it, that's all I can say."
According to the Ross Township website, Young has lived in the township since 1978, previously working for Young & Bertke as well as serving as chief of the Ross Township EMS.
Just days before the election, Young delivered his final pitch to voters at a public forum.
Watch: What candidates and voters had to say at Ross Township's public forum
Young pointed to the township's existing land use contract and said he was trying to keep commercial development, like what's moved in along Route 27, from encroaching further into town.
His use of racial slurs was not brought up in the forum, and he refused an interview with us before it began. We spoke to several voters who told us Young's words would be a factor in their decision when they cast their ballots.
Young received just over 21% of the vote. Winners Bennett and Hatten each received just over 32% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Butler County Board of Elections.
