CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — Cuyahoga County Board of Health commissioner, Terry Allan, faced the music Wednesday after a photo of him in blackface surfaced the day before.
Allan sat down with 3News' Monica Robins to apologize for the incident that he admits has caused him embarrassment and pain.
"People make mistakes. My hope is this doesn't define me and the work that I've done since that time."
You can watch the full interview with Allan below:
Allan also issued a statement on Tuesday.
"I am horrified by those truths and ashamed of myself for having any connection to the furtherance of those beliefs. Confronting youthful mistakes and transgressions from our past often causes us embarrassment, regret and pain," he said, in part. "I am incredibly embarrassed about what I have done. I apologize for my ignorance and immaturity and ask for forgiveness."
The Cuyahoga County Board of Health then issued a statement as well after the photo's release.
“In terms of Commissioner Allan’s involvement, we fully appreciate how the actions of a young person can be inappropriate and regrettable. We also understand that through education and experience, a person can change for the better,” the board wrote.
“We feel that Commissioner Allan’s leadership and work history related to community health, infant mortality, lead poisoning prevention, COVID-19 and a host of other issues illustrate his compassion and dedication to people of all races and ethnicities.”
The letter closed with the board giving Allan a message of support. “It is our feeling that Commissioner Allan has developed a sincere appreciation and sense of regret for the realities of his decades-old actions. It is also our position that he is fully capable of continuing to lead our agency during this time of pandemic and beyond.”
Allan has been at the front lines of the county’s battle against the coronavirus, often appearing during the briefings as the pandemic has continued.
He has served as Cuyahoga County’s health commissioner since 2004. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Bowling Green State University and his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Hawaii.
An adjunct faculty member at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine, Allan also co-chaired the Health and Caring Investment Committee for the United Way of Greater Cleveland from 2005-2007.