A Vallejo, California city official has stepped down after displaying unprofessional behavior during a Zoom conference, including throwing a cat and swearing profusely. The other members of the Vallejo City Council had expressed their negative reaction to his demeanor, but now that the video has gone viral, the man faces criticism from the entire internet.
These kinds of incidents were bound to happen as people continue adapting to a work from home lifestyle amidst the social distancing efforts. One of the less-discussed issues surrounding working from home is that it’s easy to fall into unprofessional habits. Even in the best of times, getting dressed for a meeting at the office feels different than getting dressed to sit down in front of a webcam. With these definitely not being the best of times, it’s easy to understand people acting out of character in social situations. Many people’s concerns about their careers and the health of themselves and their loved ones are taking a psychological toll, and that’s without mentioning the impact isolation can have on morale.
Perhaps these were the sorts of factors that contributed to Chris Platzer’s erratic behavior during the Vallejo Planning Commission last week. The city official sent an email to the Vallejo Times-Herald Saturday announcing his resignation following criticism for his on-camera behavior. Platzer is depicted drinking a beer, swearing, and throwing his cat during the meeting. It’s unknown whether intoxication was a factor in his actions, but he appears to respond to all of these choices with amusement, indicating he believed them to be acceptable, until his early resignation.
Platzer also penned an email to the Times-Herald apologizing for his behavior. His message included words promoting the Vallejo City Council. Other than apologizing for his actions, he doesn’t go into much detail explaining them. There’s no excuse given aside from saying, “We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy.”
It’s a vague enough statement that it’s difficult to know if Platzer was intoxicated or simply angry. He’s quoted as describing his colleagues with derogatory terms after the meeting ended, but before the Zoom chat was shut down, and there’s a moment where he sarcastically asks if he’s allowed to make any comments once the other council members open the floor to him. That behavior is at odds with his praise for the team during his resignation letter, however. In addition to his now-former colleagues’ statements about Platzer’s unprofessionalism during the conference, Vallejo’s mayor issued a statement highlighting how behavior such as this could have a negative impact on a potential city developer’s desire to work with a seemingly unprincipled Planning Commission.
