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Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Durham mayor says he is ‘not going to apologize' for his town hall remarks
As Durham Mayor Leo Williams runs for re-election, he's catching heat for a candid communication style and recent remarks some find offensive. In a video posted to Facebook of his meeting at Rookie's Sports Bar on July 3, Williams answered questions about how he is addressing crime and violence, the city's youth, and other pressing issues. For some people, one moment stood out: Williams' response to a remark about gun violence, during which he called young people carrying firearms in Durham 'YNs,' short for 'young [racial epithet].' The term, rooted in African American Vernacular English, has gained traction on social media platforms like TikTok. Once reserved for young Black people who engage in violent or destructive behavior, it can now be seen online describing any young Black person. Critics say it reinforces stereotypes, repeats a racial slur, and unfairly labels young people in ways that contribute to stigmatization. 'As someone who brags about being a former educator, you know the power of words,' Durham writer and activist Paul Scott responded to the mayor in a Facebook video. 'You know that people would take you calling young Black men breaking into cars YNs, people would take that and run with it. Durham already gets bashed enough.' Williams, a restaurant owner and former Durham Public Schools teacher, has used slang and catch phrases during his first term as mayor, including his slogan, 'Durham is Dope.' He has often spoken directly to critics in the audience of City Council meetings. The town hall came days before Williams filed to run for a second term, and he said he's not going to apologize for his remarks. 'It was me responding to an audience in the context in which we were having a conversation,' he said. What did Williams say? The nearly 43-minute video of the town hall shows Williams dressed casually in a baseball cap and jeans, speaking plainly as he introduces himself and shares his upbringing. The controversial remark emerged during a discussion about ShotSpotter, the gunshot detection program the city recently ended. Williams noted that gun regulation falls under federal and state jurisdiction, not the city. He said Durham's challenge isn't responsible gun owners, but those who carry firearms illegally. 'We're dealing with some YNs out here just doing their own thing, stealing [guns] out of cars and they don't know how to communicate,' he said. Young people used to just fight, but now they reach for guns, he said. 'No value for life, that's what we're dealing with. And they're 12 years old.' 'They have a mother that's only about 12 years older than them. They're living in public housing where public housing has incentivized poverty. It won't allow you to have two-parent households, and this is the federal government's fault. I take issue with it.' As of July 12, 92 people had been shot in Durham this year, 15 of them fatally, according to the Durham Police Department. Twenty-seven of this year's shooting victims have been Black men 25 to 34 years old. The data does not show the age range of shooters. 'I'm not going to apologize' In a phone interview with The News & Observer, Williams wanted to give clarity and context for his use of the term. He said he chose to hold the town hall at Rookie's to show just because he is the mayor does not mean he is above meeting people where they like to hang out. He also said there were attendees using similar language to the 'YN' term and that it was unfair to criticize people who 'actually gained up the courage to come out and actually talk to their mayor, someone they've never engaged with.' 'That's how people were talking,' he said. 'I'm talking about these youngins on the street who are killing each other too.' It was unfortunate that 'the context wasn't fully understood based on a clip,' he said. 'I'm not taking back the context of that conversation, and I'm not going to apologize either,' Williams said. 'My reference is, these youngings on the street are killing each other, something has to be done. I wish people would focus on that, rather than two letters that came out of my mouth.' Last month, Williams launched the Bull City Future Fund with the United Way of the Greater Triangle and the Triangle Community Foundation to support groups that serve young people. 'I'm not going to change,' he said. 'When I came up with 'Durham is Dope,' it was too radical for the older conservative crowd. … I've been the same all this time and that's not going to be enough for some people, but I think it'll be enough for the right people.' 'Code-switching' While Williams said he was not code-switching during the town hall, the practice is often associated with Black politicians and public figures. Linguists define code-switching as shifting between languages, dialects, or speech patterns depending on the setting. For Black Americans, in particular, it has become a necessary skill for navigating spaces dominated by the white majority. 'One of the things that African Americans learn very early is, sort of, who to sound like,' said Walt Wolfram, a linguist and professor at N.C. State University who has studied American ethnic dialects for over 60 years. 'While code-switching was formed out of oppression, it turned out to be a very powerful rhetorical tool and an advantage.' Wolfram said Black children between second and sixth grade learn to code-switch as they navigate school, teachers, and other expectations. 'My feeling is that a primarily Black audience in Durham would be comfortable using those terms to show a kind of solidarity with one another,' he said. Mark Anthony Neal, an African American studies professor at Duke University, said code-switching is a 'way to show connection or authenticity.' 'At the same time, many of those same people probably would have used a much more volatile and problematic term to describe the same young men, but we would not hold them to the same level of accountability,' he said. Neal recalled when Barack Obama ran for president in 2007 and was described as being 'very articulate, like a badge of honor.' 'For white voters, there is always this expectation that Black folks come off as polished or articulate,' Neal said. 'But a lot of young elected officials use their ability to code switch the way that they use social media, That's really important to reach a part of the electorate that normally is not going to consume political information by reading a newspaper or even watching newscasts.' Words shaping perception In a phone call, Anjanée Bell, one of Williams' three announced opponents for mayor, said, 'words matter.' 'Words are not just words; all words carry weight,' she said. 'They shape perception, they invite action, and either reinforce dignity or they deny it.' Bell said language that 'stereotypes or generalizes people can embolden those who are not committed to fairness when we are working to be a better Durham.' 'We cannot afford to fuel harmful narratives or negative images,' she said. Her campaign framework, Durham is H.O.P.E., refers to her priorities for the city: housing and healing, opportunity and ownership, people's safety and people's trust, and environment and education. She did not say her acronym was in response to Williams' 'Durham is dope' slogan. 'I have prayed for the incumbent,' she said. 'And he's going to have to be accountable and offer whatever he chooses to offer to those he has harmed as a result of his choice words.' The primary election for Durham voters is Oct. 7, and Election Day is Nov. 4. NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@ Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Village GP is struck off after sending barrage of abuse to female colleague in drunken late-night phone calls
A village GP on a remote Scottish island has been struck off after making abusive late-night phone calls to a female doctor at the practice. Paul Scott, 59, was also accused of initimidating another female colleague by kicking the door of a consultation room before shouting at her while inches from her face. Scott, a general practitioner at the health centre in the tiny fishing village of Brae on the Shetland island of Mainland, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and his name was ordered to be erased from the medical register. It was claimed during the probe that an officer declined to call the Scott because 'he doesn't respond well to police contact.' At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, Scott, who qualified in medicine 36 years ago, was described by patients on Facebook as a 'wonderful empathetic doctor'. However, Scott - nicknamed 'Doc MacMartin' - was struck off following a series of temper-fuelled tirades against female colleagues at his surgery. In the first incident in March 2018, the GP flew into a rage at a female workmate known as 'Colleague A' after a complaint was made against her regarding patient care. The Manchester hearing was told there had been a 'tense clinical situation involving a potentially unwell patient requiring an ECG' and the woman who was with a patient was shocked when Scott began 'hammering' and 'kicking' the door to her room. He eventually gained access before backing the woman against the wall and berating her in such close proximity that she could 'feel his spittle on her face'. In a statement the woman, who had just returned from leave, said: 'He was about a millimetre from my face. All through the day he was telling staff that he was going to report me, on what grounds no-one knew. His actions were so premeditated. 'It appeared to me that he had been thinking about how he could bully me out of the workplace whilst I was on annual leave. 'He approached me the minute I arrived that morning - it was full on aggressive and intimidating behaviour.' Scott was later suspended from the practice in April 2020 by NHS Shetland for undisclosed reasons but reportedly while at home he began drinking heavily and turned on another colleague known as Dr C in August 2021 after discovering she had been working as a locum alongside Colleague A. But he later bombarded a second female colleague with abusive and drunken late night phone calls over a week long period in which he told her repeatedly to 'f*** off'. Both women were said to have been left severe distress and upset by the incidents and Police Scotland were subsequently called in to investigate Scott. The GP had previously worked with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to help local fishermen undergo medical examinations before going to sea. He became a partner at the Brae Health Centre in 1999 after a period working for the Scottish Office, before taking early retirement from the NHS in 2021. Dr C said: 'I was awakened from sleep by a phone call from Dr Paul Scott. He was very agitated when he phoned. Shouting at me, repeating my name over and over. 'He seemed to be very angry because I had worked the Friday and had been in the next room. 'He said: "What did you talk about at coffee?" and "You had coffee with her" and [was] saying "She is a bad person", "Have you ever been referred to the GMC?", "Are you colluding with them?" 'He said he wouldn't put it on FB - yet. He would not let me speak. He was pretty intimidating and I felt extremely upset, ended up putting the phone down and had little sleep that night before going to do a day's locum in the morning.' Concerned by Scott's beahviour, Dr C kept a timeline of events. She recalled how on September 4 Scott started phoning her at about 11pm and then 'phoned roughly every half an hour a further twice into Sunday morning'. She wrote in her timeline: 'He has been on the phone tonight, abusing me, saying he doesn't trust me and saying he had the right to do this. He was drunk. I'm minded to speak to the police to make them aware - he has no right to abuse or frighten me. 'He wouldn't listen to me when I asked him to get off the phone and stop this. He sounded drunk and in a rage. 'One of the phone calls was just "f*** you, f*** you, f*** you" over and over. The calls got progressively worse, in the night at half hour intervals. In the end shouting at me to f*** off and saying he doesn't like me or trust me that I'm a liar, in collusion. 'Anything I said was twisted and thrown back. I couldn't get a word in to respond if. If I tried, he screamed at me. He repeated my name over and over, was intimidating and me saying "You need help Paul" made it worse. 'All of this seems to have been kicked off by me doing that locum work for two days. I spoke with the police and said it's intolerable, I'm on call and have to answer the phone, and eventually spoke to the police in Lerwick. 'But the officer I spoke to was reluctant to phone him as he said, "He doesn't respond well to police contact". 'I said I was concerned after speaking with his relative that he might try and come through my door, if he was in the vicinity. But he said I shouldn't be worried about that and in the end the best I could do was put the phone through to the hospital. 'The policeman said if he abused the person on hospital switchboard then they would act. The hospital agreed to phone me on another line if there were any calls.' She told other colleagues about the calls and they responded: 'He's very unpredictable and its affecting everyone. He is drinking and has been phoning (people) when drunk during the night and sending abusive texts - trying to control and intimidate. 'He seems to be in a terrible rage much of the time. Apparently, he is completely in denial - it started getting worse after his suspension.' When quizzed Scott claimed he did not believe he had acted aggressively towards Colleague A and said he 'may have had one or two glasses of wine' when he contacted Dr C. His lawyer Stephen Brassington said the abusive phone calls arose out of a 'mistrust of colleagues' and added: 'The distress caused to Colleague A and Dr C was not the product of any intent on Dr Scott's part. 'The incident with Colleague A occurred in a tense clinical situation involving a potentially unwell patient requiring an ECG. 'His conduct amounted to an overreaction in a high-pressure setting not an act of misconduct warranting disciplinary sanction. 'Characterising such conduct as misconduct could risk setting an unhelpful precedent for clinical professionals working under pressure. He had a previously unblemished 30-year career in the NHS.' But Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service chairman Mr Douglas Mackay said: 'The Tribunal determined that the doctor's actions in forcefully hitting the door of the consultation room, causing genuine alarm to Colleague A. 'It found this to be an unacceptable and aggressive confrontation with Colleague A in the workplace and Dr Scott's actions caused Colleague A to fear for her personal safety. He added: 'Persistent telephone calls were made by Dr Scott to Dr C. The abusive language involved the repeated use of Dr C's name and some of the calls were made during antisocial hours. 'The nature and number of these calls, as well as their content, were such that they caused Dr C to feel fearful for her personal safety and prompted her to contact the police for advice on that issue. Dr C described feeling terrified.'
BBC News
30-06-2025
- BBC News
Man who died from stab wound in Blackburn 'was kind and caring'
A man who died after being found stabbed at a house in Blackburn "always had the time for anybody" and would "drop everything" if you needed help, his family Scott was unresponsive when an ambulance crew found him at a house on Peridot Close at about 03:40 BST on 22 June and died a short time tribute, Mr Scott's relatives said he was "a polite, kind and caring man" and a "hard-working mechanic whose love for cars was for all to see".Amie Clegg, 21, Liam Donlin, 24, and 43-year-old Joanne Maxwell, all of Lynwood Avenue in Darwen, have been charged with his murder, Lancashire Police said. 'Immeasurable pain' A post-mortem examination found that Mr Scott had died from a single stab wound. His family's tribute said: "Grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins, his friends, and countless others Pauly has touched throughout his life all feel an immeasurable pain from the loss. "He enjoyed spending time with his family, drinking with friends, and enjoyed every minute with his dogs, Snoop and Sam."He was always there for friends and family and would drop everything to help when they needed him." The force appealed for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Det Ch Insp John McNamara said: "Whilst three people have been charged, our investigation is very much ongoing. "If you saw anything or have any footage that you believe could help our enquiries, even if you think it is insignificant, please do the responsible thing and get in touch." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- BBC News
No misconduct before Alfie Steele Droitwich murder, police watchdog says
A police force that repeatedly met the family of a nine-year-old boy who was later murdered in his home "did not sufficiently train frontline officers to identify child abuse", a police watchdog report Steele was killed by his mother and her partner at their home in Droitwich, Worcestershire, in 2021 and the pair were jailed two years cases when West Mercia Police had contact with Alfie and the couple were examined by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which concluded there was "no indication of misconduct" by any grandfather Paul Scott said: "We see nothing in the report that shows any change, it is a waste of public money." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
Murder investigation launched after death of man found 'unresponsive'
A murder investigation has been launched after a man was found 'unresponsive' at a property. Three people - a man and two women - have been arrested. Police rushed to Peridot Close in Blackburn, Lancashire, at 3.40am on Sunday (June 22) after receiving a report from the ambulance service that a man was unresponsive. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the man, who has now been named as 37-year-old Paul Scott, was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives said Mr Scott's next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. READ MORE: The M60 is still shut four hours after 'police incident' started - here's what we know so far READ MORE: Emergency crews descend on Greater Manchester funfair as firefighters called to 'suspected electrocution' A murder investigation is ongoing and three people: a 24-year-old man, a 43-year-old woman and a 21-year-old woman, have all been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police say it's being treated as an isolated incident. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE They all remain in custody and a Home Office post mortem examination, to ascertain how Mr Scott died will be conducted, reports Lancs Live. DCI Simon Pritchard, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: "First and foremost, my thoughts are with Paul's loved ones at this incredibly distressing time. Our investigation is very much in its early stages, but we have a team of dedicated detectives conducting enquiries. "Enquiries so far have led us to understand that this is an isolated incident, and it is being treated as such. "Whilst there is no threat to the wider public, you will see an increased police presence in the Peridot Close area, both as a reassurance, and as our officers carry out the investigation. "If you have any concerns, or any information or footage that could assist those enquiries, please do get in touch. It may be something that you think is insignificant, but I would encourage you to tell us anyway. "You can approach our officers as they carry out their duties or contact us by phone." Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it. That's why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do - bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don't miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News. And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it. And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@ or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.
