SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Thursday saw another contentious exchange at a Savannah City Council meeting that played out in public.

It happened after a vote on a liquor license when one council member told another to shut up.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mayor Van Johnson said. “Ladies and gentlemen.”

Happening off camera, but during the council meeting, Purtee told Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter to shut up.

In an interview with News 3, Gibson-Carter responded, saying, “I ascribe to the notion that the lioness does not consider the thoughts of the gazelle.”

The exchange came after the council voted to deny a liquor license to black entrepreneurs, and after Gibson-Carter expressed concerns about race.

“Here in the City of Savannah, we have over 600 bar and liquor serving establishments, and fewer than 20 of them are owned by African Americans,” Gibson-Carter said.

In a statement to News 3, Alderman Purtee said this about Thursday’s exchange: “While saying the word pedophile yesterday, she looked at me which was offensive. Why? Because I’m gay? Because my partner is younger than me? Her actions are completely inappropriate and I had enough.”

Purtee was one of several aldermen who filed an ethics complaint against Gibson-Carter in 2020. She says she does not plan to file an ethics complaint against him, and while she doesn’t want an apology from Purtee Gibson-Carter says he does owe an apology to every woman who looks like her.