LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday will meet for the first time since a leaked audio recording revealed councilmembers Nury Martinez and Kevin de León making racist comments.
Although Martinez resigned as council president on Monday, she still maintains her City Council seat. In the fallout of the leaked conversation, calls have only intensified for Martinez and two other councilmembers, de León and Gil Cedillo, to fully step down from their seats. All three have since apologized.
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez says she plans to bring forward a motion during Tuesday's meeting at 10 a.m., calling for the election of a new council president. Councilman Mitch O'Farrell has been elevated to interim council president.
Councilman Mike Bonin's son, who is Black, was the target of the racist comments.
"Today, I'm even angrier than I was yesterday. I'm quaking with anger. It's everything that is ugly and broken in politics, and they all must resign," Bonin said in an interview with Tavis Smiley on Monday.
L.A.'s civil and religious leaders, including Reverend John Cager, say the racist words heard during the October 2021 conversation were extremely painful to hear. At a news conference Monday, these groups said the councilmembers were considered to be allies and friends.
Though all three have since apologized, many say it's not enough and they're calling for change.
WATCH | LA civil rights, religious leaders say apologies on racist remarks 'not enough'
The leaked audio was recorded behind closed doors as the council was redrawing council district boundaries - something that USC's Dr. Manuel Pastor struggled to hear because it went beyond just talking about the needs of Latinos in the community.
It was a conversation, he says, around diminishing Black political power in the city.
"Redistricting is a difficult process because it tends to be zero-sum in its politics," said Pastor, with the USC Equity Research Institute. "To see decades of work wind up being trashed in a conversation and solidarity put at risk in that conversation is devastating."
Gil Cedillo's City Council term will be over in December after losing his primary earlier this year. Martinez and de León aren't up for reelection until 2024
L.A. voters have the option to start a recall, but that process could take months. The council members were not indicted, so they cannot be removed from council as of now.
LA County Federation of Labor president resigns after racist conversation with LA councilmembers