MA city councilor apologizes after being accused of 'racial violence' for ...

A Massachusetts politician has been accused of 'racial violence' after a two-year-old Halloween photo surfaced of her dressed as an Asian spa worker in an attempt to poke fun at Patriots owner Robert Kraft - who had been entangled in a sex-trafficking sting at a massage parlor in 2019.

Malden City Councilor Jadeane Sica was pictured wearing a bamboo hat and an 'Orchids of Asia' T-shirt - the spa where Kraft was alleged to have attempted to solicit sex - next to her husband, John, who was in a Patriots sweatshirt in a Facebook photo captioned, 'Happy Halloween with a Happy Ending!' 

Kraft was cleared of any wrongdoing last year but the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition on Wednesday called out the politician for her 'harmful, racist and ignorant' photo.

'Our culture, our people, and our pain are not a costume,' the statement read. 'Our youth, especially our young women, should not see themselves represented and mocked in this way by an elected official of our town. This is racial violence: the appropriation of Asian identity for someone’s amusement.'  

Malden, a suburb north of Boston, has a population of 61,000 - with about 22.5 percent of those being Asian, according to the Boston Globe.

Sica quickly apologized after the outcry by local groups. 

'Two years ago, John and I attended a Halloween Party with costumes that made light of what was at the time a current news event, specifically, the well known case of Patriots owner Robert Kraft having been involved in engaging illegally with sex workers at a Florida massage parlor,' she wrote in a statement. 

'Since that time, many, myself included, have become much more aware of the fact that the women involved in cases like these are all too often vulnerable members of the Asian community who are victims of exploitation,' she continued. 

The councilwoman also said she had 'love in my heart for the people from all backgrounds, races, and religions' and that 'bad intent' wasn't always a 'necessary ingredient' to be 'hurtful to others.'  

She promised to 'do better,' and said she was 'enlightened' about her costume choice.