R-Word Focus of Debate

Tuesday, August 11, 2009
From WHAM-TV, Rachel Barnhart

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -– Members of Rochester’s disability rights community are demanding an apology from the person who said “retard” at a Monroe County Legislature meeting.

The meeting was broadcast on the Internet. The word was said during a heated, party-line vote on a whistleblower protection bill. After a Democrat voted yes, someone can be heard saying, “Jesus…retard.” The camera was not pointed at the individual who said it.

Chris Hildebrandt of the Center for Disability Rights believes a member of the Republican caucus said the R-word.

“Nobody at this point is 100 percent sure who said it. I think any standard of any reasonable person can surmise that if it wasn’t Dan Quatro, it was one of his colleagues on that side of the aisle,” Hildebrandt said.

Quatro said he didn’t say it, and he doesn’t know who did.

“I really don’t know and I haven’t gone to all of my caucus members and interrogated them about who it was, who it wasn’t,” he said.

Quatro said he met with Hildebrandt and wrote a letter expressing regret for the incident.

“What level of apology they’re looking for, I’m not sure,” Quatro said.

CDR held a news conference to condemn use of the R-word.

“I’m here to ask Rochester not to use the R-word, not because you’re not free to do so, but because we’re better than that,” said Terri Abrams, who has a daughter with Down Syndrome.

“There’s people out there who say, ‘Oh it’s just a word. It’s just a joke. Don’t be so sensitive.’ We’ll it’s not just a word. It’s not just a joke,” said Anita Cameron.

CDR wants Maggie Brooks and Quatro to publicly condemn the use of the R-word.

“Having someone in a position say this is wrong makes all of the difference in the world,” said Bruce Darling of CDR.

“Unfortunately the debate seems to be centered around who said it, who didn’t say it,” Quatro said. “I think the debate should be more focused on the issues that disabled people face in this community.”