Plano City Councilman Apologizes For Anti-Islam Post After Mayor Calls For Resignation

A Plano City Council member has apologized for sharing a video on Facebook that he says "wrongfully implied I am anti-Muslim."

Council member Tom Harrison, who represents Place 7, received backlash after posting the video Tuesday night. It shows images of students wearing hijabs in classrooms and says: “Share if you think Trump should ban Islam in American schools.” 

It comes from a Facebook group called, “Joined Hands Across America For Trump.”

Harrison was unreachable by media and city colleagues for comment Wednesday. He posted this statement on Facebook around 6:30 p.m. 

Call to resign

Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere called for Harrison's resignation at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, saying he was unfit to serve based on his actions and that they didn’t reflect the greater Plano community.

Harrison did not respond to this demand in his follow-up post on Facebook. 

According to the Dallas Morning News: "Harrison was elected to a four-year term on the council in 2015. If he does not resign, the only other way to remove him from office would be through a recall petition, according to city officials. At least 2,791 signatures from qualified Plano voters would be needed to trigger a recall election."

'Vote him out'

Imam Omar Suleiman, who helped establish interfaith organization Faith Forward Dallas, said on Facebook that he hopes the Plano and wider Dallas community will “make an example of out this bigot” and vote him out of his position.

Harrison's original Facebook post was taken down Wednesday afternoon shortly before the mayor's press conference.