State Rep. Aaron Bernstine has resigned from his Pennsylvania House committee assignments less than a week after PennLive reported allegations that the Western Pennsylvania Republican used racist and homophobic language about openly gay Black state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
Bernstine, who represents portions of Butler and Lawrence counties, has not resigned from the legislature and continues to deny the allegations.
Officials announced during Tuesday’s House session that Bernstine had stepped down from his assignments on the Insurance, Transportation, Intergovernmental Affairs & Operations, and Labor & Industry committees.
The move is the first tangible consequence for Bernstine since PennLive reported last week that he allegedly launched into a tirade about Kenyatta during a confrontation at McGrath’s Pub in Harrisburg.
According to PennLive, Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council officials who witnessed the encounter said Bernstine used a homophobic and racist slur to describe Kenyatta and falsely claimed the Philadelphia Democrat’s significant weight loss was because he had AIDS.
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Kenyatta was not present during the alleged remarks.
Bernstine has denied making the comments, calling the allegations a “political attack.”
Kenyatta welcomed Bernstine’s departure from the committees while making clear he does not consider the matter resolved.
“Today is an important first step in accountability,” Kenyatta wrote on X. “To every Pennsylvanian who has experienced hate, bigotry or bullying, they should know they are not alone and that, as a commonwealth, we are better than this.”
Kenyatta again called for Bernstine to resign from the House.