Politics & Government

Troy Mayor to Protesters: 'I Said One Word That You Don't Like'

Troy Mayor Janice Daniels speaks with students and other protesters in front of City Hall, insisting, 'I am not a bully.'

 Janice Daniels addressed about 15 protesters in front of on Monday regarding, insisting that she said "one word" that people found offensive. 

The protesters included a group of students from the , and Daniels spoke specifically with Zach Kilgore, the  senior who organized Monday's protest in conjunction with the Troy High GSA.

"I'm not a bully," Daniels said, smiling, to the small crowd of students and media. "I'm a nice person."

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In answer to questions about her future as mayor, Daniels said: "I'm not going to resign – of course not. I love my new role as mayor."

Daniels also said Century 21, her employer, has asked Daniels to put her "license in escrow"– meaning she has "suffered consequences, too."

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Daniels asked that the protesters forgive her for the comment, which included the use of the word "queers" in what has widely been called a derogatory way.

"I think this will pass too, just like all other controversies," Daniels said.

The protesters started chanting angrily, "Janice is a bully," to which Daniels responded:

"I'm a good person, I really am. I said one word that you don't like. One word."

The last comment drew criticism from members of the crowd, and she left soon after. She is expected back for , which is set to start at 7:30 p.m.

Protesters carrying umbrellas, colorful signs and "Recall Janice Daniels" petitions continued to gather after Daniels departed; by 5:30 p.m., roughly two dozen protestors – a mix of high school students and adults – stood on the side of Big Beaver Road at the entrance to the Troy city complex waving at cars and cheering whenever one honked at the group.

Jeff Williams of Troy was one of the protestors. "We don't need a mayor that says that kind of thing," Williams said. "I don't want to be represented by a mayor who has those feelings for the gay community."

Kirsten Douglass of Troy added: "I'm here to support civil rights. The mayor is supposed to be the voice of Troy, but she's not my voice."

There were a few supporters of the mayor as well, including Mary Mills of Clarkston.

"I'm here to support Mayor Daniels because in my opinion she didn't do anything wrong and she's allowed to express herself," Mills said. "The issue is about marriage being between one man and one woman, and I support her."

Members of the Troy Police Department have been monitoring the nonviolent protest from a distance; in the east entrance lobby, several protestors were busy making signs just feet away from a small group of three Daniels supporters.

Shortly after the mayor's appearance, a statement from the Troy City manager, John Szerlag, was released. It said:

“The City of Troy is the second most diverse City in the State of Michigan and we are extremely proud of and enriched by our diversity.  We respect everyone who lives here and does business in the City of Troy and encourage people and businesses to continue to locate here.

Troy has a Council-Manager form of government, this means that all employees with the exception of the City Attorney’s Department work for the City Manager.  Council sets policy and the Manager and staff execute it.  As such, City Council can only speak formally through their resolutions.

Personal comments made by the Mayor and any individual Council member are just that.”


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