Tempers flared at the end of Monday night’s Evanston/Skokie School District 65 board meeting after an Evanston resident informed the board of a controversial addition to the menu of a member’s restaurant.

Board members Bob Eder and Julie Chernoff grilled Hecky Powell about his decision to include a “Mutt special” in his menu at Hecky’s Barbecue, 1902 Green Bay Road.

Powell, who recently came under fire for referring to biracial children as mutts, described the combination platter added to his menu as an inside joke between his employees and him. He fired back at the board and the community.

“I will never be intimidated by anyone,” said Powell, whose children are biracial. “I will not resign from this board. I am not going to back down.”

At the March 24 board meeting, Powell made the incendiary comment during a discussion of how the district classified its biracial children.

After members of the Evanston community complained to the board and asked for Powell’s resignation, he apologized for his remarks and said he meant his comment to be descriptive rather than offensive.

Following Powell’s public apology, the board approved a resolution in a 6-1 vote that admonished Powell for his remarks but supported him in light of his apology.

At the onset of Monday’s meeting, Evanston resident Tracey Wallace passed around a copy of the Hecky’s menu to board members.

Wallace, who is the father of biracial children, said he was frustrated with the board’s weak response to Powell’s comments.

“We just have to acknowledge that this is a racial slur,” Wallace said. “I don’t want my kids to grow up and respond to being called a mutt.”

Chernoff said she was “sad and shocked” to learn this new item had been added to Hecky’s menu.

“It displays a very cavalier attitude on the part of Mr. Powell,” Chernoff said. “It’s inappropriate to the sense of gravitas of an officer of the board.”

But Powell refused to budge.

“When I apologized for my remarks,” Powell said, “I never did say I’d stop speaking.”

For Wallace and other community members, the board’s continued support of Powell has perpetuated the issue.

“The board allows him to do what he did,” Wallace said. “They signed off on the resolution and they allow that kind of tirade.

“In a public forum you have to suffer the consequences.”