Dem who made controversial abortion comments ditches public meeting to dine with senators as parents protest

FRAMINGHAM – A section Democrat promised to be a metropolis assembly gathering to apologize for complaining astir nan costs of typical acquisition for children pinch disabilities who are not aborted, but he skipped retired aft irate parents and disablement advocates announced a protest.

Michael Hugo, nan chair of nan Framingham Democratic Committee said during a Feb. 7, Framingham, Massachusetts, metropolis assembly gathering that typical needs children who aren't aborted are a financial drain to nan schoolhouse system. In a missive to nan assembly nan aforesaid night, he promised to be nan adjacent gathering to apologize successful person, past issued a written apology to nan nationalist aft 10 days of backlash

"I thought he would beryllium present this evening because he said he would beryllium present this evening and would apologize publicly," metropolis assembly chair Philip Ottaviani said during Tuesday's meeting. "I cognize he mentioned nan different nighttime he'd beryllium successful D.C., and coming he texted maine that he was successful D.C. and incapable to attend."

Hugo told Fox News he hadn't planned to be nan meeting. He said he was astatine a meal reception pinch senators and members of Congress and that he was successful Washington, D.C. to petition further backing for various section programs. 

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Hugo, added that he was confused astir erstwhile nan Framingham City assembly met.

Hugo declined to make himself disposable for an interview.

Ottaviani said during Tuesday's gathering that if he made remarks for illustration Hugo's, "there would beryllium group calling for maine to time off nan room and not travel back."

"My woman would beryllium telling maine nan aforesaid thing," he added

Framingham City Council Chair Philip Ottaviani responds to Michael Hugo astatine a Feb. 28 metropolis assembly meeting. (Fox News)

‘Supplying tons and tons of typical services to nan children who were calved pinch nan defect’

Hugo’s first comments concerned a imaginable metropolis assembly proclamation astir entree to abortion and situation gestation centers successful Framingham. He expressed interest complete unborn babies having misdiagnosed defects that whitethorn lead to a abnormal kid being calved and causing strain connected a schoolhouse budget.

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"That becomes a very section rumor because our schoolhouse fund will person to sorb nan costs of a kid successful typical education, supplying tons and tons of typical services to nan children who were calved pinch nan defect," Hugo said astatine the Feb. 7 meeting.

Immediately afterward, Hugo sent a missive to nan assembly stating that he would be nan adjacent meeting. 

"I intend to look earlier nan City Council successful your adjacent gathering to personally apologize for nan measurement my connection sounded, and to connection a much elaborate explanation," he wrote successful nan Feb. 7 letter.

On Feb. 17, Hugo apologized to nan Framingham Democratic Committee and to members of nan Massachusetts city's disablement family community, calling his comments "offensive and hurtful." Hugo said nan committee did not reappraisal his planned remarks, though he sent them retired nan nighttime earlier nan metropolis assembly meeting.

The Framingham Democratic Committee rejected a motion connected Sunday to see a chat astir perchance removing Hugo astatine a early meeting, though nan members voted unanimously to condemn his remarks. Ottaviani, nan metropolis assembly chair who's besides a personnel of nan committee, voted successful favour of nan effort.

"If Mr. Hugo had stepped down and we had activity connected nan Framingham Dems, this would person gone away," Ottaviani said during Tuesday's metropolis assembly meeting. "All I wanted was a chat to move guardant but its large and clear that nary 1 is resigning."

Laura Green pinch chap demonstrators extracurricular Framingham City Hall protesting comments from Michael Hugo. (Fox News)

Shortly earlier Tuesday's metropolis assembly gathering — nan 1 Hugo initially said he'd be — organization members, parents and section officials protested extracurricular metropolis hall successful to show support for nan disablement community.

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Mike Cannon, a Democratic metropolis councilman who attended nan protest, told Fox News that nan Framingham Democratic Committee's nonaccomplishment to walk a mobility conscionable discussing dismissing Huge "send a beardown connection to a batch of group successful our organization that possibly those comments haven’t been arsenic powerfully dismissed arsenic they should’ve been."

"I deliberation that group needs a alteration of chair and a alteration of executive committee," Cannon added.

Framingham City Councilmember Mike Cannon told Fox News that nan contention complete Mike Hugo does "not look to beryllium going away." (Fox News)

‘Not going to belabor nan rumor further’

Hugo, who was successful Washington D.C. during nan meeting, besides declined to Zoom into nan meeting.

In a matter connection provided to Fox News, Ottaviani asked Hugo during nan gathering if he would beryllium calling in. 

"I americium successful DC and I americium incapable to subordinate you. I issued my apology nan nighttime of your gathering and americium not going to belabor nan rumor further. I americium astatine a meal reception for a mates of Congress members and 3 senators," Hugo replied.

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Cannon told Fox News that it is very communal for guests and members to Zoom into meetings.

"I expected him to travel aliases astatine nan very slightest dial in, anyone tin link via Zoom," Cannon told Fox News. "Based connected what I perceive from nan community, this rumor does not look to beryllium going away."

Michael Hugo, a section antiauthoritarian charismatic successful Framingham, Massachusetts, questioned nan costs of children pinch down syndrome connected his metropolis who are not aborted. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Hugo's absence meant that he missed opinions from angry parents during Tuesday's metropolis assembly meeting.

"A well-educated lawyer should ne'er deliberation that a female that gives commencement to a kid pinch a disablement has conscionable produced a burden," said Cheryl Caira, whose girl went done nan Framingham nationalist schoolhouse strategy pinch down syndrome.

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Parents protestation extracurricular metropolis hall

Susie Santone a abnormal female from Framingham astatine nan protest, said she was upset astir critics making nan business a partisan issue.

Protest motion extracurricular Framingham metropolis hallway calling for Michael Hugo to resign pursuing his arguable comments connected abortion. (Fox News)

"It’s not astir Democrat, it's not astir Republican, it’s astir nan children," she said. "People are truthful entrenched successful nan governmental broadside of it that they are forgetting astir nan children."

"You tin apologize arsenic overmuch arsenic you want but you person to backmost it up," Santone added. "If you’re going to make an apology location has to beryllium an action down nan apology different they’re conscionable blank words and location has been nary action."

She added that Hugo should measurement down to show "he understands nan effect that his remark made."

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And Jannett Leombruno, nan metropolis council's vice chair who besides attended nan protest, said galore community members didn't consciousness Hugo's apology was enough. She said he should resign.

"These kids person a correct to beryllium born," she added, getting emotional. "We request to guidelines up for them."

Jon Fetherston stands pinch a boy saying his boy is not a load pursuing Michael Hugo's remarks astir abortion and typical needs education. (Fox News)

Jon Fetherston, who organized nan demonstration, told Fox News he was disappointed Hugo did not show up.

"His insincere apology and expertise to not moreover travel and look nan metropolis assembly coming shows you nan existent characteristic of Michael Hugo. His characteristic is flawed and I’m highly disappointed," Fetherston said. "It conscionable proved erstwhile again that his apology is highly disingenuous."

"He didn’t moreover person nan dignity to prime up nan telephone and telephone and apologize to nan metropolis council, truthful I deliberation his actions speak truthful overmuch louder than his pathetic words," Fetherston added.

Hugo’s word expires successful April 2024.

Fox News reached retired to Hugo for remark astir why he didn’t be nan meeting. He responded pinch a photograph of a Congressional House Office Building walk dated March 1. 

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"I americium present to inquire for accrued section backing for housing, nutrition, intelligence healthcare and acquisition intelligence wellness and nutritional services," Hugo said successful a followup email. "I americium present to do nan activity and arsenic overmuch arsenic I wanted to beryllium capable to beryllium astatine nan assembly gathering past night, I person responsibilities to group who I tin advocator for and who are incapable to advocator for themselves."

He did not explicate why he didn't Zoom into nan gathering aliases if he will be a early meeting.

To study much astir nan backlash to Hugo, click here.