Mayor, residents call for London councilmember to resign after using racial slur
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- Mayor Weddle and leaders demand councilmember Justin Young resign after slur.
- Council meeting canceled when four councilmembers skipped; public spoke.
- Young faces assault and mischief charges; community and NAACP condemn.
Several local and state leaders are calling for a London city councilmember to resign after he admitted to using a racial slur.
Councilmember Justin Young was the primary topic of discussion for speakers at Monday’s council meeting, which was eventually canceled after four of the six council members failed to show up.
Young was arrested Sept. 15 on charges of fourth-degree assault (dating violence) and second-degree criminal mischief. Court documents say he assaulted a woman during an argument in May and damaged her phone during another argument in July.
The woman, Crystal Hoskins, is also charged with fourth-degree assault (dating violence) and second-degree criminal mischief. Court documents say she hit Young in the face, bit him on the arm and threatened to kill him during an argument in August.
During a court appearance last month, Young admitted to using a racial slur during the May altercation, and he repeated the slur during the hearing, according to LEX 18. Young later acknowledged the incident in a Facebook post.
“At that time, I was dealing with overwhelming emotions of anger and betrayal,” Young said in the statement. “In that moment, I said something I should have never said. There is no excuse. My words were wrong, and I deeply regret them.”
Young was one of the four councilmembers who did not attend Monday’s meeting amid a heated feud with Mayor Randall Weddle. The council impeached Weddle and removed him from office last month, but a judge later ruled the council had not presented sufficient evidence for removal, and Weddle was reinstated Sept. 29.
The council has appealed that decision.
Although Monday night’s council meeting was canceled soon after its scheduled start time for a lack of quorum after four councilmembers, including Young, did not attend, several residents still spoke.
Conrad Cessna, an attorney representing the meeting, and Councilmembers Jim Baker and Donna Gail Wilson-House attended the meeting, but they left once once it was canceled.
Weddle stayed as attendees called for Young’s resignation, and he spoke, too.
“A man should never raise his hand to a woman at no point, and according to the photos I’ve seen on Facebook, she had multiple bruises across her body,” Weddle said. “There’s no reason for it.”
Tracie Handley, who was acting mayor when Young admitted to using the racial slur, said she had zero tolerance for domestic violence and was troubled by Young’s language and allegations. However, Young has kept his seat on the council, and the other councilmembers have not publicly commented on the case.
“When a public official admits to using racial slurs, and still holds office, it sends a very bad message,” Whit Whitaker, president of the Lexington-Fayette County chapter of the NAACP, said at Monday’s council meeting. “It sends a message that racism and violence can exist with leadership, and that simply cannot happen.”
Charles Booker, former Kentucky state representative and U.S. Senate candidate, also condemned Young’s conduct and called for his resignation.
“I do not believe anyone who is comfortable using hate to communicate a point is fit to be in elected office,” Booker said.
The calls for Young’s resignation were echoed by several London residents at Monday’s meeting.
Tina Cobb-Morgan said London residents must demand higher standards from its elected officials.
“Racism has no place in the halls of power, not now, now never,” Cobb-Morgan said. “Will our history reflect the impaling silence of good people, or will you remove Justin Young from office?”
Weddle said he was encouraged by the turnout and community response.
“We’re no longer going to let old London manipulate the situation and silence the voice of the people that’s been silent for a long time,” Weddle said.
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 8:44 AM.
