Metro Nashville Health Department Apologizes for Calling Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict an Injustice

 

Metro Nashville Health Department (MPHD) staff on Wednesday apologized for Director of Health Equity Stephanie Kang calling the not guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial an injustice.

Last week, Kang in an email to MPHD employees, described Rittenhouse as “a young white man who shot and killed two people and wounded one other.”

On Wednesday a source said MPHD officials relayed their apology via email. The source read a portion of the MPHD’s apology to The Tennessee Star.

“Upon reflection, we used language that was unnecessarily inflammatory, and we apologize for that,” according to the MPHD email.

“No matter how good our intentions are, there is no future for us in either creating or hardening divisions in our community. That is counter to our goals, and to the extent we did so we failed you, ourselves, and the community we serve.”

Metro Nashville At-Large Council Member Steve Glover last week called Kang’s email “sickening.” He told The Tennessee Star Report on Tuesday that he wanted MPHD staff to apologize.

Yes, Every Kid

Glover, upon learning of Wednesday’s apology, said he appreciated the gesture.

“It makes me happy to know that we in Nashville are working together,” Glover said.

Kang, in her email last week regarding the Rittenhouse not guilty verdict, wrote:

“We recognize that these injustices can cause distress and harm for BIPOC communities and exacerbate trauma instilled daily through acts of racism and the pervasiveness of white supremacy and oppression. We must move forward collectively to disrupt systemic racism and reaffirm our shared values of equity and inclusion publicly and through practice.”

Kang also said MPHD staff were “committed to providing a space for healing for anyone struggling to process, experiencing distress, and/or needs additional resources to support their colleagues.”

Merriam-Webster defines BIPOC as Black, Indigenous, People of Color.

Metro Nashville Health Department officials hired Kang in July, according to Kang’s LinkedIn page. Kang received a doctorate from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Stephanie Kang” by Stephanie Kang. Background Photo “Nashville City Hall” by euthman. CC BY-SA 2.0.

 

 

 

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