Assemblyman Patrick Burke fires three top staffers in exchange over his response to Tops shooting

Burke, an Orchard Park Democrat, said he fired them for “gross insubordination” following a heated exchange Tuesday afternoon in his West Seneca district office during which he said they accused him of being a “political coward.”

The dismissals, Burke said, occurred after he had just driven back from Albany one day after he joined with members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus in the State Capitol to speak out against white supremacy.

Married to a woman of color, Burke, who represents the 142nd District, said he is the father of three racially mixed children and that over his 10 years in public service he has repeatedly spoken out against racism.

“One of the workers called my family ‘lily-white,’ in spite of knowing that I have a mixed-race family. I’m married to a woman who is Puerto Rican and we have three mixed-race children,” Burke said of a comment made by Matthew T.H. Dearing, who had served as Burke’s director of community relations.

The other two staffers Burke said he fired were Nicole Golias, legislative director, and Brendan Keany, communications director.

Dearing, who is Black, said he did call Burke’s family "lily-white," but offered an explanation.

“I said that after I had spent two hours with my mother consoling my four Black sisters who are afraid to go to school and afraid they are going to get shot,” Dearing said.

Dearing said the disagreement with their now former boss started on Monday during a phone call in which he and his two co-workers urged Burke to take a strong stand against white supremacy.

“He said he did not want to be a white savior, to which we responded we are not asking you to be a white savior. We’re asking you to stand up on this issue in your community,” Dearing said.

In defending his position against white supremacy, Burke cited his Twitter account on which he posted statements he has made starting on Saturday after a gunman shot and killed 10 Black people at the Jefferson Avenue supermarket. Payton Gendron, 18, of Conklin, is charged in the killing.

Burke tweeted: “I’m sickened by the news of the racially motivated mass shooting in my city. If the information is accurate, the shooter livestreamed part of the shooting and scrolled on the barrel of the gun was the N-word. Heartbroken for the victims, their families and all of Buffalo.”

On Tuesday, Burke posted a link to a YouTube video of his speech condemning what happened in Buffalo during the Caucus gathering Monday. Accompanying the link, Burke included this statement:

“I stood with my colleagues to condemn the act of terrorism in Buffalo. White supremacy and nativism are purposefully being spread across our nation. More than thoughts and prayers, we need action. I’m submitting legislation to root out extremism.”

Dearing said he was unaware of the speech, but still believes Burke has not been forceful enough in standing up to white supremacy.

In recounting the exchange of how he and his colleagues were fired, Dearing said: “If you want to fire the first Black person you have ever hired because he asked you to speak out more clearly on white supremacy, the anti-Black shooting in your city, you can, but I’m not going to quit, so you’ll have to fire me."

Burke said the claims made against him by the workers are not accurate.

Burke called the workers "clearly ignorant about my work over the last 10 years. It is an election year and they are trying to hurt me in my election,” Burke said.

Dearing said the assemblyman did mention his upcoming bid for re-election; Burke denied saying he did not want to lose his Assembly seat over the shooting.