‘I speak perfect English’: Surfside commissioner accuses mayor of racism and misogyny after testy...

A Florida town commissioner accused the mayor of bigotry after he suggested that she didn't understand the English language, according to a report.

Surfside mayor Shlomo Danzinger and commissioner Nelly Velasquez frequently clash during town commission meetings, but their disagreement Wednesday shocked onlookers as the mayor referenced her ethnic background when asking her not to interrupt, reported the Miami Herald.

“Does anybody know how to speak Spanish to tell it to her?” Danzinger said, as attendees audibly gasped.

Danzinger justified his comment when asked later by the newspaper about his remark.

“[I was] trying to get information clarified to the commissioner," the mayor said. “It appeared that Commissioner Velasquez was having difficulty understanding, so I thought perhaps maybe it was a language barrier.”