Palm Bay, FL – The controversy over Councilman Chandler Langevin’s repeated inflammatory remarks targeting Indian Americans has escalated to the state level.
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According to updated city agenda documents, Councilman Kenny Johnson will ask his colleagues to direct the City Attorney to draft a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis requesting Langevin’s suspension under Section 112.51, Florida Statutes. The discussion has been added to the agenda for the upcoming regular council meeting on Thursday.
Mayor Rob Medina had already called a special meeting for Tuesday, September 30, to address the issue of council decorum in light of Langevin’s comments. But due to concerns about a possible lack of quorum, that discussion will instead be moved to Thursday’s regularly scheduled meeting.
Indians don’t assimilate.
They’re here to drain our pockets and get back to India rich… or worse… to stay. https://t.co/VmVF61niGo
At Johnson’s request, the council will now also consider the extraordinary step of formally petitioning the Governor’s Office to intervene and suspend Langevin from office.
Langevin has drawn widespread criticism after posting online that “there’s not a single Indian that cares about the United States,” claiming Indian Americans are in the country only to “exploit us financially and enrich India.” In other posts, he has called for the immediate deportation of all Indians and even used language echoing Nazi references to “the Jewish question” when he wrote that “we must address the Indian question.”
There’s not a single Indian that cares about the United States.
They are here to exploit us financially and enrich India and Indians.
Diversity is not our strength and no conservative would ever say that. Our strength comes from rugged Americanism and the Christian values our Founding Fathers developed in forming this Republic.
These remarks and many others which can be found on his X account, prompted backlash not only from community members and local leaders, but also from state lawmakers who took to social media to show support for Brevard County’s Indian American community.
This morning, Councilman Mike Hammer issued a forceful statement distancing himself from Langevin’s rhetoric.
Hammer said residents had reached out to him expressing pain and betrayal at Langevin’s words. He emphasized that Langevin’s comments “do not reflect me, my values, or the kind of city I believe Palm Bay should be.” Hammer went on to say:
“The truth is, the actions of one person can stain the reputation of all five of us. Racism, hate, and divisive thinking have no place near me, the seat I swore to uphold, or the city I love. … Public office is not a playground for reckless opinions. Words from this position carry real consequences—real consequences for our neighbors, our families, and our children.”
Hammer underscored that while Langevin is entitled to his own views, his comments endangered community trust, forced his colleagues into damage control, and dragged “four other people and their families into the fallout.”
Palm Bay Deputy Mayor Mike Jaffe at this year’s India Day.
Since we broke the two days ago, several prominent elected officials have finally come out affirming their support of the Indian American community, and in some cases going as far as to condemn Langevin’s statements directly. Even Congressman Randy Fine came out an stated he “was troubled” by the recent comments, without naming Chandler or acknowledging the specific comments directly. Fine endorsed Chandler for city council, and Chandler’s wife ran Randy’s campaign for Florida Senate. Fine went on to hire her as his staff for his brief stent in the Florida Senate.
Langevin ultimately won his election by fewer than 650 votes out of more than 55,000 cast, a margin so slim that the endorsements and funding he received from those figures and organizations almost certainly played a decisive role in his victory.
The Space Coast Association of Realtors who also endorsed and funded Langevin has remained silent on the issue, as well as State Representative Chase Tramont.
Langevin also serves on the board for Odyssey Charter Schools which serves a large number of Indian American families. We wrote them requesting a comment on Langevin’s divisive comments. Their comments are below.
Dear Odyssey Community, We want to clarify that personal comments by members of the Palm Bay community serving as Odyssey board members do not reflect the position of Odyssey Charter School, Inc. Board members, like all individuals, are entitled to their personal freedom of speech, but they do not define our mission for children, or set curriculum, which follows Florida standards. Odyssey was built upon the Montessori philosophy, which honors every child as a unique individual. Maria Montessori believed in developing independent thinkers but also believed that understanding and respecting differences is key to raising compassionate, capable adults. For 27 years, we’ve welcomed families of all backgrounds, teaching children to appreciate the cultures, languages, and experiences of others—reflecting the best traditions of the United States as a vibrant tapestry, a nation strengthened by freedom, opportunity, and the contributions of many peoples. Our mission remains to educate the whole child, so every child can reach their full potential in a respectful, caring, and high-achieving environment. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your school principal or email Ms. Constance, School Founder and CEO of Green Apple School Management at mailto:cortiz@greenappleschools.com. (Please include your phone number and several times you are available.)
Sincerely, Ms. Constance and the Green Apple and School Leadership Teams
We also contacted Langevin’s employer, Smith and Associates Surveying who is based in Palm Bay. As of the time of this publication, they have not responded.
Lastly, we contacted the Deans of Eastern Florida State College and filed a Formal Complaint Against Student Chandler Langevin for Violation of EFSC Student Code of Conduct.
The Palm Bay City Council will take up both the discussion of conduct and Johnson’s proposal to petition the Governor at its regular meeting on Thursday, October 2, at Palm Bay City Hall. The meeting is open to the public and will also be streamed live at palmbayfl.gov. and on The Space Coast Rocket’s Facebook and Youtube pages.
