The director of a state and federal-funded nonprofit in West Virginia returns to work after she had been removed temporarily from her job for calling Michelle Obama an “ape in heels”.

Following Trump’s presidential victory, Director Pamela Ramsey Taylor, Clay County Development Corp had posted to Facebook, “It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”

Rather than condemning Taylor’s racist comment, Clay Mayor Beverly Whaling replied, “Just made my day Pam.” Whaling later stepped down from her post.

In the meantime Taylor had deleted her comment and seemed to deactivate her Facebook account after the post wenr viral. But screenshots of the post had already been circulated widely.

LAter Taylor and Whaling apologized after the backlash. According to the local news Taylor said in her comment “may be interpreted as racist but was in no way intended to be.”

Taylor had been removed from her position by Clay County Development Corp at the time. But on Saturday they have announced that she would be returning to her job on Dec. 23. According to a letter obtained by the Charleston Gazette-Mail from Leslie McGlothin, the organization’s acting director, to the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, a petition calling for Taylor’s termination received more than 196,000 signatures.

By Prakriti Neogi