Prince William edits vulgarity out of uploaded video recording

In a highly unusual move, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors has edited all vulgarity out of the public comment portion of its June 16 video recording. 

Black Lives Matter supporters filled the citizen comments period demanding racial equality, the defunding of police, and the end of the 287(g) program, abolished the next day. All this comes after a month of nationwide protests that were sparked by the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. 

Some of the comments were laced with profanity, all of which were subtly edited out of the uploaded video recording. “Beeps” were not used over the audio, the vulgar words were just cut out. 

“You guys f-ing suck,” said one commenter. 

“The minute you police the language that can be used here is the minute you lose the voices who are rightfully angry. All I have to say is F- decorum,” said another speaker. 

At the close of the comment period, Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson requested the vulgarity to be edited out of the recorded video.

“I did not want that profanity played during those replays knowing we do not give a warning for the profanity,” Lawson told Potomac Local News. 

Lawson’s fellow conservative on the Board, Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega, disagreed with the decision to edit the video. 

“This language was allowed, and thus I don’t think it should be censored to cover for the out of control tenor of the meeting. I actually think it’s good for the public to see that these are the types of people calling for the defunding and abolition of our police,” Vega said. 

Under the Freedom of Information Act, public comment minutes do not have to be recorded verbatim. The video recordings are public record, but they can be edited just as a report is changed from one draft to another in a database. 

Lawson also asked about changing board rules to allow only public comments only in English unless an interpreter is present. 

“I’d like to change our Board rules and procedures so that when people are addressing the Board during public comment time that English is the only language that they use unless they have an interpreter,” Lawson said at the June 16 meeting. 

Some Spanish-speaking residents were at the meeting that night.

The county attorney, Michelle Robl, will provide her legal advice to the Board at the July 14 meeting. 

“The Board may consider amendments to their rules of procedure regarding the issue,” Robl said.

The board discussed making the issue of decorum a topic at their upcoming retreat if one takes place. No time or place has been decided yet for the retreat as it is still in the planning stages.

The Board of County Supervisors will hold its next meeting on July 14, 2020.