Texas health commissioner resigns over racial remarks

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas health commissioner resigned Monday after being accused of making racially insensitive comments to a black former employee.

William ''Reyn'' Archer III, 46, whose 1997 appointment by the Health and Human Services Department's governing board had been approved by Gov. George W. Bush, had taken heavy criticism during the past year from minority groups over comments he made about Hispanics and blacks.

Bush had supported Archer through his previous controversies but pulled back last week, calling Archer's latest comments ''inappropriate.''

Dr. Demetria Montgomery, who was a top-level administrator in the department before she was fired last month, had secretly tape-recorded a February meeting with Archer, who is white.

On the tape, Archer can be heard making references to ''lynching'' and suggesting Montgomery used her brain to advance her career and ''that's what white people do.''

Health and Human Services Commissioner Don Gilbert announced Archer's resignation.

''Reyn Archer has served as an energetic and dedicated public health official and I thank him for this years of service to the state of Texas,'' Gilbert said.

A man who answered the telephone at Archer's home said Archer was unavailable for comment. Gilbert and the health department's governing board had suspended Archer last week while the complaint was investigated.

The son of Rep. Bill Archer, R-Texas, Archer is a gynecologist and obstetrician. He angered Hispanics in April when he was quoted in news reports saying that Hispanic teen-agers ''want to be pregnant.'' Democratic lawmakers called for his firing, and Archer apologized for the remarks.

Shortly afterward, the Houston Chronicle reported that Archer had made similar statements about blacks in 1998.

But it was Montgomery's tape recording that triggered a new avalanche of criticism that forced Archer to resign.

Fearing she was going to be fired, Montgomery had gone to Archer to discuss her job performance.

Archer can be heard referring several times to Montgomery's race and said ''you are fair (skinned) as a black woman, you get certain privileges in white culture that others don't get for that.'' Archer also suggested that she had used her brains instead of her heart to advance her career and ''that's what white people do.''

In a statement last week, Archer said he was disappointed the tape was made public.

''She invited me to talk about her job problems in a wide-ranging and reflective way,'' Archer said. ''It saddens me to learn that Dr. Montgomery is now attempting to use parts of our conversation, a personal conversation that she requested and secretly recorded, to support a legal action against the state of Texas.''

Bush's office said Monday that the governor respects Archer's decision to step down and credits him with reducing the tuberculosis rate and infant mortality during his 3-year term.

''Governor Bush thanks Dr. Archer for his dedicated service to the people of Texas,'' said Bush spokeswoman Linda Edwards.

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On the Net:

Texas Dept. of Human Services: http://www.dhs.state.tx.us/