WATCH: City of Palm Bay Schedules Special Meeting Tonight After Councilman’s Anti-Indian Remarks Spark Outrage

meeting, scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. at Palm Bay City Hall

WATCH: Mayor Rob Medina announced the meeting, scheduled for Monday, September 30, at 6 p.m. at Palm Bay City Hall, stating that the city must reaffirm its commitment to diversity and unity following what he described as divisive and harmful rhetoric.

Councilman Chandler Langevin, whose social media posts targeting Indian Americans have drawn backlash from across Brevard County and beyond

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA — Palm Bay officials are set to hold a special city council meeting to address a firestorm of criticism surrounding recent remarks by Councilman Chandler Langevin, whose social media posts targeting Indian Americans have drawn backlash from across Brevard County and beyond.

Mayor Rob Medina announced the meeting, scheduled for Monday, September 30, at 6 p.m. at Palm Bay City Hall, stating that the city must reaffirm its commitment to diversity and unity following what he described as divisive and harmful rhetoric.

Residents can attend in person at City Hall, 120 Malabar Road, or watch the proceedings online at Palmbayfl.gov.

“Palm Bay’s strength has always come from the diversity of its people,” Medina wrote in an open letter to residents, which you can see in its entirety below.

“Words that demean or devalue others have no place in Palm Bay. We must rise above hurtful rhetoric and continue building a city where everyone feels safe, valued, and proud to belong.”

Langevin’s posts included calls to end Indian migration and deport Indian nationals, and used antisemitic propaganda, stating, “We must address the Indian question.”

The fallout has been swift as elected officials from both parties publicly condemned the remarks.

U.S. Congressman Mike Haridopolos wrote on X that Indian Americans “always put family first, work hard, value education, and are so generous to local charities.”

State Rep. Brian Hodgers said the comments were “harmful and divisive” while stressing that Indian Americans are integral to Florida’s economy and community life.

Fellow Florida lawmaker Monique Miller added that Indian families in Brevard have “demonstrated our shared values of liberty, community, and capitalism.”

The Brevard County Democratic Executive Committee likewise issued a sharp statement labeling Langevin’s words as racist.

Meanwhile, the Palm Bay council is expected to discuss sending a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis requesting Langevin’s suspension from office.

Langevin has claimed that fellow Republicans issued “copy-paste” statements in support of Indian Americans only because he had spoken out against migration. In a follow-up comment, he said that diversity is “not our strength” and criticized Medina for emphasizing inclusion.

The mayor, city council, and the City of Palm Bay released the following open letter to the community:

Like the United States of America, Palm Bay has always drawn its strength from the diversity of its people. Our community is built on many cultures, backgrounds, and life stories, and it is this richness that makes our city strong and vibrant.

As Thomas Jefferson famously noted in his Letters on Civic Unity, “We must cultivate peace, harmony, and union among ourselves, as [these are] the great pillars of liberty and prosperity”. Similarly, John Dickison famously wrote in 1768 – “The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind”. He wrote those words because he understood that America’s struggle for liberty is, and would forever be, inseparable from the broader pursuit for all human dignity.

Recently, some public remarks toward Americans of Indian descent, have caused pain and division. While each person is entitled to their own views, we must be clear: words that demean or devalue others have no place in the Palm Bay we aspire to be. Americans of Indian descent have enriched the United States, as all ethnicities have, through leadership in business, science, politics, medicine, and the arts, the very achievements and civic engagement that strengthens our communities and exemplifies the power of diversity in building a stronger nation and stronger Palm Bay.

We stand together in affirming the inherent dignity and worth of every resident—regardless of race, ethnicity, or background. Our shared future depends on listening with respect, speaking with care, and working side by side to ensure that every neighbor feels safe, valued, and appreciated for the contributions they make to our community. Our shared values require us to build a better Palm Bay for our children and grandchildren, so that one day they might look back and remark, “this is what our grandparents built for us”.

Let us recommit to what unites us: our common love of the United States of America, our love for the place we chose to call home, our beloved City of Palm Bay, our belief in fairness and opportunity, and our responsibility to treat each other with compassion. Together we can rise above hurtful rhetoric and build a city where everyone belongs.

As our founders declared in 1776, we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights. This timeless vision still calls us to build a Palm Bay where liberty and dignity are for every American, because they emphatically and unconditionally belong to us all.
Thank you for joining in this commitment to unity and mutual respect. With resolve and hope for our great city.

Sincerely, CITY OF PALM BAY

Rob Medina Mayor
This letter is supported by members of City Council: Deputy Mayor Mike Jaffe and Councilman Kenny Johnson.

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