Windsor Mayor Foppoli leaves council meeting amid demands for resignation over sex assault allegations
WINDSOR, Calif. (KGO) -- "How upset, pissed, and disgusted I am that Mayor Foppoli would duck out of this meeting. You all had a right to be heard and now he won't hear you."
There was a dramatic twist Wednesday night in the North Bay town of Windsor. After hours of intense and emotional debate, embattled Mayor Dominic Foppoli left a special city council meeting, saying he felt he was making community members feel uncomfortable.
RELATED: 'My brother should step down': Family members call for Windsor mayor to resign
Six women have accused Mayor Foppoli of sexual assault over a 16-year period.
The mayor was at that virtual meeting Wednesday night, denying the allegations, and refusing to resign.
"I have my head held high because I know deep in my heart that I have done nothing criminally wrong and will eventually be cleared," said Mayor Foppoli. Foppoli publicly addressed sexual assault allegations for the first time since six women came forward with the accusations. At least one of them alleges she was drugged.
Foppoli's attorney said everything was consensual and the mayor is refusing to resign.
"I am not without fault but I am not a criminal," said Foppoli, who went on to say, "Let the attorney general and the justice system decide if I've done anything wrong when it comes to these allegations."
City council members were in tears at times during Wednesday's meeting as they called for Foppoli to step down.
RELATED: Lawmakers urge Windsor mayor to resign after multiple sexual assault allegations
"Now you're making me tear up before I even start. If you love Windsor as much as you've said you always have, then you need to resign tonight," said council member Debora Fudge.
Foppoli co-owns the Christopher Creek Winery with his brother Joe, who is also asking for his brother to step down as mayor. Wednesday, the council voted on a resolution demanding that the mayor resign. It's a move that won't change anything but the vice mayor said they will now look to recall Foppoli.
Community members were outraged and showed up in numbers to give their thoughts. Women and men demanded that Foppoli resign immediately.
"Please step down and, if you don't, I hope to God that you hear my voice in your head," said one woman.
Multiple people accused the mayor of being a rapist and others dropping profanities as they went after Foppoli. "Resign you rapist," said one man. Another said, "Dominic, man up my dude!"
Since the council doesn't have the power to remove the mayor, it would take a recall campaign and officials we talked with said if there isn't a resignation, they will move to make that happen.
VIDEO: Windsor mayor responds after multiple women accuse him of sexual assault
