Towamencin Township, Montgomery County. (Kenny Cooper/WHYY)
This story originally appeared on 6abc.
An official in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has resigned after posting a video showing her making a hand gesture that resembles a Nazi salute.
Towamencin Township Supervisor Laura Smith submitted her resignation on Sunday.
Her letter to the board was posted on the township’s website.
“To allow the Township to move forward without the encumbrance of the fallout of my video, I tender my resignation from the Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors effective immediately,” it reads.
The board said it intends to accept the resignation at a public meeting as soon as possible.
“The Board of Supervisors cannot and will not tolerate such conduct,” the board said in a statement.
Smith’s gesture — in a video posted on TikTok but since deleted — also appears to mimic a controversial hand gesture made by Elon Musk just days ago at President Trump’s inauguration.
In the video, Smith hits her chest before she puts her arm straight out in the air with her palm down.
The resignation message mirrored an earlier statement from Smith, in which she said, “A video I posted recently to social media has been greatly mischaracterized. Not wishing to give offense, I removed the video from my accounts. I abhor racism, antisemitism or discrimination in any fashion or form, and my record as a township supervisor attests to my commitment to treat all people with dignity and respect.”
The next board of supervisors meeting is Feb. 12.
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