For immediate release

May 31, 2019

Tenafly Councilman Daniel Park calls for resignation of Councilman Maxim Basch and ask for LD-37 and Tenafly Officials to Disavow and Demand the Councilman resign

(Tenafly) Tenafly Councilman Daniel Park today responded to a racist Facebook posts made by Councilman Maxim Basch.

Unity, a political organization which supports Korean American Democrats in Bergen County, released a screenshot of a post on Englewood Cliffs Councilwoman Ellen Park’s Facebook page. Councilwoman Park posted pictures of her and other dignitaries at a Korean American Day celebration in New York City. She was sworn in only days before as a newly elected Councilwoman in her borough. Councilman Maxim Basch posted the comment “Was it good Chinese food?”

“This comment made by Councilman Basch is extremely inappropriate, hurtful and deeply offensive especially for an elected official of a borough with a diverse Asian population and deeply offensive to all residents of Tenafly and Bergen County. It has been difficult enough for immigrants to integrate into American society, let alone into politics. Councilman Basch should be ashamed of himself and resign his seat.” said Councilman Daniel Park, who is also a Korean immigrant.

This is not Councilman Basch’s first controversial and racially charged comment on social media. During a Facebook debate about armed guards in schools, he posted “Because a cop with a gun seeing a black kid with a gun would shoot the kid immediately.” “All the police will endorse more police more guns and more jails. Their idea is more good guys with guns so we can have huge shootouts in schools and all over. Killing our kids was not their concern”.

“The comments about the police and guns is an insult to our officers. Our officers have an amazing relationship with our school system. The department hosts a pool party for sixth graders through the LEAD program. The PBA created and run Tenafly Community Night, the largest borough event. We have a School Resource Officer who interacts daily with students, offering them guidance and support. They’re an integral part of Tenafly”, said Councilman Daniel Park.

Councilman Basch’s reckless behavior was also on display yet again in an incident where Tenafly Police had to escort him off a resident’s property over a dispute over a “Basch and Michaels” lawn sign. The resident had taped over Basch’s name on the sign. Basch rang the residents doorbell at roughly 9:00 pm on the night of May 23. Basch asked the resident to remove the tape or remove the sign. The resident declined. Basch then refused to leave the resident’s property until the sign was removed. The resident again declined and went inside to call the police. The police arrived a few minutes later and notified Councilman Basch that the resident had the right to support anyone they wished. Councilman Basch then badgered the resident yet again demanding to know who had given him his lawn sign before finally leaving the property.

When Councilman Park read the police report, he emailed the Tenafly Municipal Democratic Committee asking for Basch’s resignation as both Vice Chair of the Democratic party and as Councilman. “His inappropriate actions are associated with the party and us as elected officials. You should not be put in a position to defend his actions nor should you be silent. Your inaction as a party will speak louder than words” wrote Park. The Democratic Committee has to this point been silent.

“Ringing a resident’s doorbell at nine at night is rude enough, but to try and bully someone into taking down a lawn sign is just absurd. I don’t understand why the Democratic Party defends his actions. I was also told he went to another resident’s home right after.”

Link to resident’s cell phone footage of incident: https://youtu.be/bVk2vBGYz8Y