Mentor officials are moving to boot a longtime volunteer from a key city board after a viral neighborhood clash caught on video showed her using a racial slur and yanking driveway markers from a resident’s yard.
The woman, identified by the city as Kathy Miller, serves on Mentor’s Board of Building & Zoning Appeals. City leaders publicly condemned her conduct and said they intend to remove her from the volunteer role, according to Cleveland.com. The clip has been widely circulated on social media and captures part of Miller’s confrontation with a resident.
Board role and public records
Public agendas and meeting notices list Miller as a member of Mentor’s Board of Building & Zoning Appeals, a volunteer panel that reviews zoning appeals and variance requests for the city, according to the City of Mentor public notices. Those online records show Miller’s name on recent agendas and confirm her service on the board.
What the video shows
The video captures Miller confronting a resident, demanding that the recording be deleted and using a racial slur during the exchange. It then shows her pulling driveway marker stakes out of the yard, according to Cleveland.com. In its statement, the city denounced the behavior and said it would move to remove Miller from the volunteer position. The report noted that there was no immediate information available about any possible police involvement.
Local reaction and context
The video has drawn sharp criticism from neighbors and community leaders, who say the language and conduct are out of bounds for anyone, let alone a public volunteer. The incident also lands in a community that has already been wrestling with similar issues. Mentor faced controversy in 2025 over allegations that a city councilman used a racial slur, a case in which the official said he would not resign, as reported by WOIO.
What happens next
The city has said it intends to remove Miller from the Board of Building & Zoning Appeals, although officials have not outlined a specific timeline or the exact procedural steps required. They have also not released additional details on any follow-up investigations, meetings, or hearings tied to the incident.
