An elected official in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, says he doesn't mean any harm when he speaks in a "Native accent" to a Native American employee.

“We go back and forth in it,” Treasurer Patrick Padilla told The Albuquerque Journal.

But a panel convened by the county didn't see it the same way. A report said Padlla's behavior is considered "inappropriate" under the county's anti-harassment policy.

“The parts of the report that were made available to me indicate that I probably made some inappropriate statements to one or more of my employees,” Padilla told the paper “If I did, I’m truly sorry for that.”

Padilla also admitted he referred to some county employees as "stupida" for not attending his end of the summer party. He said he will apologize to anyone who was offended.

Get the Story:
Panel: Treasurer’s Words ‘Inappropriate’ (The Albuquerque Journal 2/28)