The Republican majority of Louisiana’s Public Service Commission removed Davante Lewis from his role as the board’s vice chair for criticizing GOP Gov. Jeff Landry on social media.
Lewis, a Democrat who is the utility board’s lone Black member, called Landry an “asshole” in a post on the social network X. He was responding to the governor’s post comparing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his predecessor Rachel Levine, the highest-ranking openly transgender person to ever serve in the federal government.
Lewis was removed from his position in a 3-2 party line vote, after Commission Chair Mike Francis made the motion to replace him. Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, a white Republican, will take over as vice chair.
“It seems that if you’re young, if you’re Black, if you’re outspoken, you gotta do whatever the white man tells you to do,” Lewis said ahead of the vote.
