A member of the South Dakota Democratic Party’s executive board ousted in a recall vote last week says he’s likely to appeal the decision.

Sheldon Osborn was until Jan. 27 one of the SDDP’s regional representatives for Region 3, an area encompassing legislative districts 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15 — much of the area in and around Sioux Falls.

In an interview Friday, Osborn said he was surprised when he was informed about the petition to remove him, and said he believed the move was largely tied to his defense of Jennifer Slaight-Hansen, who was ousted as SDDP chair during her own recall vote last year following allegations that she had created a hostile work environment and violated the party’s constitution.

“Known efforts to prolong Jennifer Slaight-Hansen’s fight against the State Central Committee in public and private” was indeed one of the reasons cited in an email sent by Sharon Schulz-Elsing and shared by Osborn, outlining “the foundational reasons” that petitioners had submitted regarding his recall, alongside “continuous defaming and undermining credibility of Democratic Party officials at local and state levels, as well as the South Dakota Democratic Party as an institution” and “documented instances of homophobic statements and misconduct that has previously resulted in reprimand by local and state Party officials.”

Osborn flatly denied some of the allegations, including that he had leaked information to the media or authored an anonymous statement to the Rapid City Journal criticizing chair Shane Merrill, which the email said it was “highly probable, though unconfirmed” that Osborn wrote.

Osborn also denied being homophobic and transphobic, calling that an undercurrent in the recall of Slaight-Hansen, who he described as someone who was sympathetic to transgender issues but didn’t feel the need to focus strongly on them. He said his defense of her could have contributed to that belief.

Schulz-Elsing, who serves as Region 3’s other representative and is a former vice chair of the Minnehaha County Democratic Party, said in a statement, “The elected Democratic leaders within SDDP’s Region 3 elected Sheldon to the position of regional representative to the state party executive board. Based on how these leaders assess he has represented or failed to represent the interests of their Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County districts in so many ways, they have overwhelmingly elected that he vacate the position. This is how elections work. We are focused on growing the party to meet the needs of everyone where we are – and where we are now.”

The deadline for Osborn to appeal is 5 p.m. this Saturday. Asked if he planned to appeal the decision, Osborn said it was likely he would, saying “I haven’t made a final decision but I’m about 99% there.”

An appeals committee would then be appointed to determine whether to void the recall. If it was upheld, Merrill would then call a meeting to elect a new representative for Region 3.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SD Dem board member says he’s likely to appeal recall vote