Wife of Riverhead official under fire for Facebook racist rant

<p>Diane Delaney wrote multiple racial slurs about African Americans telling them to &quot;go back to Africa.&quot;</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 16, 2017, 7:29 PM

Updated 2,376 days ago

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The wife of a top official in the Town of Riverhead is under fire for a racist rant she allegedly posted on social media.  
The reaction has been swift to the Facebook post by Dianne Delaney, wife of Riverhead Town Attorney Robert Kozakiewicz. It had been shared hundreds of times by this morning.
In the post, Delaney uses a racial slur to describe people she saw while out to dinner at a local pizzeria. She goes on to say they should "go back to Africa.”
Reached at his home for comment, Kozakiewicz apologized, saying he's "very, very sorry" and that he's "devastated" by what his wife wrote. He also says the couple is having "troubles."
"It's not something I support. Anyone that knows me knows it's not me, it's not my family, it's not my children, it's not something I support or endorse, it's inexcusable," Kozakiewicz says.
Kozakiewicz, who has been the town attorney since 2011, said his wife could not speak with News 12.
Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter stands by Kozakiewicz, saying he's a good employee and a Christian husband who has been helping his wife deal with some issues.
"There's very few people in this world that would stand with his wife through this time of mental illness, of alcoholism. So the residents can be assured we have a role model in the town attorney's office and not someone who is a racist bigot," Walter says.
Some residents are calling for Kozakiewicz to resign. But Supervisor Walter says there's no reason for it and he wouldn't accept the resignation if he tried.


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