The CEO of Baltimore’s Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) still had her job Monday afternoon, despite calls for her resignation or removal following last week’s decision to cancel the city’s parade for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Despite reports she had resigned over the weekend, Donna Sawyer was still CEO of the quasi-governmental agency that runs events in the city. Anger over BOPA’s announcement last Thursday the parade would be canceled, after not having been held the prior two years due to the pandemic, led to calls for her removal from city officials like Mayor Brandon Scott, who announced via Twitter Sunday night the parade was back on. The initial canceling of the parade called on Baltimore residents to honor Dr. King’s spirit by volunteering on his holiday instead.

Scott kept the pressure up on BOPA Monday. Appearing on WYPR’s Midday, the Mayor reiterated his stance. “If (the board does) not change that direction and remove her, we are prepared to cut the organization’s funding in fiscal year 2024 and transfer responsibilities to other agencies,” Scott told Midday host Tom Hall. “And I’ll say it again - we will not renew their contract when the current one expires if they do not do what we are requesting them to do.” BOPA receives much of its funding from the city, though it also does some private fundraising.

Reaction was swift from other Baltimore leaders to last week’s cancellation of the MLK parade. Baltimore Democratic Congressman Kweisi Mfume called the move ‘disgraceful’ and feared BOPA was going down a path to canceling the parade forever. Hours later, BOPA put out a statement implying the mayor or his office had a part in the initial cancellation, saying it “does not have the authority to, nor would we ever assume to, make unilateral decisions on mayoral events.” Scott denied that during his appearance on Midday Monday afternoon. The parade will start next Monday at noon.