She has since apologised and claims she did not know it was derogatory
A Coventry councillor has apologised after using a term insulting to disabled people on social media.
Cllr Rachel Lancaster got into a spat on Twitter and replied to a tweet by posting: “Been licking the window again have you?”
The term “window licker” is well known for being derogatory against people with learning disabilities and is highly offensive.
Cllr Lancaster later apologised and deleted the tweet after being told it was “derogatory towards people with learning difficulties” and insists she though it meant “licking the window, like a child outside a toy shop”.
The remark has drawn strong criticism, including from the founder of a Warwickshire support group for families of children with Down Syndrome, who won the Inspirational Person award at our Coventry and Warwickshire Heroes Awards 2017.
Cllr Lancaster has since deleted the apology and claims that is because of the level of abusive comments it attracted.
Cllr Lancaster, who represents Holbrook Ward for Coventry City Council , replied to Twitter account @LiargateCovCity following a reply to a picture she uploaded of the Labour regional conference.
She was celebrating Cllr Ann Lucas receiving an award, but the Liargate account replied with ‘remove tongue’.
But instead of ignoring the comment, Cllr Lancaster hit back and asked: ‘Been licking the window again have you?’
That drew condemnation from the Liargate account, a disabled campaigner, and a mum of a teenage boy who has Down Syndrome.
Way to go Rachel!
