GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (KDVR) — The City of Greenwood Village has decided to pull a publishing contract from The Villager, a newspaper based in the city after it used several Asian stereotypes in an April Fool’s Day story. The newspaper discussed its decision in an issue that was published a few weeks later.

The city will now use The Littleton Independent to publish legal and other public notices. The city sets aside $10,000 in its budget for that purpose. Owner and publisher Bob Sweeney of The Villager told council members that the contract accounted for around 3% of the paper’s gross revenue during a meeting earlier this month.

“We apologize for any readers that were offended,” he said. “I would appeal to all of you tonight to table this resolution, see what happens going forward, and stick with The Villager,” Sweeney said.

Despite the plea, city leaders decided to move the ordinance off the consent agenda and approved the move as part of the regular meeting agenda earlier this month by a vote of 6-2 with council members Dave Bullock and Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kerber opposing.

“There is so much cancel culture out there and anything that you do and anything that you say people will label you,” said Kerber. “I just want to push back on that issue to say that (Mr. Sweeney) as a man and there as a writer is not a racist.”

“Maybe you tripped over the magic works that have come up in society lately but I do not believe personally that had anything to do with your heart and that’s what’s important for me,” said Kerber.