Records show former state veterinary medicine board member Ellen Kessler resigned to shield Gov. Jared Polis from blowback after she made what ranchers viewed as incendiary remarks about the livestock industry.

“The controversy has gotten out of hand and I believe I would be most helpful to our governor if I resigned,” Kessler said in a Jan. 24 email to Karen Phelan, program director for the State Board of Veterinary Medicine.

The resignation came as, behind the scenes, thousands signed a petition calling for her removal, while several emails called for the same to the state vet board.

Kessler’s latest comment, made Jan. 19 on a Facebook post authored by first gentleman Marlon Reis, claimed ranchers were “baiting” the wolves in order to obtain compensation from the state when wolves killed livestock. Kessler, an animal rights activist and vegan, also called ranchers “lazy” and “nasty.” Her comments have since been deleted, but screenshots of those comments were widely circulated on on social media and have garnered national and international attention.

The blowback from those comment included thousands of new signatures on a petition calling for Kessler’s removal. The agricultural publication FencePost launched the petition last year by in response to Kessler’s history of making what many in the agriculture community view as hostile remarks about the industry. Several social media posts made after her appointment showed support for a position that dairy farmers sexually abuse their cows and that youth organization 4-H “teaches children that animal lives don’t matter.” 

It’s standard practice for dairy farmers to artificially inseminate cows so they give birth and produce milk. As for 4-H, among its guiding principles is teaching young people how to humanely care and respect the animals in their possession. Those posts have also since been deleted.

The FencePost petition has drawn more than 24,000 signatures, including almost 5,000 in the past week. A records request filed with the Department of Regulatory Agencies, under which the state vet board is housed, also revealed the board received several complaints in the past about Kessler’s latest remarks. 

Among those emails was a message from Jackson County rancher Faith Anderson, who said: “I understand she is appointed by the governor, but she also has a duty to the public and her negative comments on social media are very disheartening and disgusting.” 

Kessler’s comments “speaks volumes” about the state vet board, Anderson added. Another email called on Reis to apologize. 

In a statement to Colorado Politics Tuesday, Polis spokesman Conor Cahill said, “Ms. Kessler emailed her resignation from the voluntary board position shortly after these comments and her resignation was accepted.”

In the past, Polis has refused to refute Kessler’s remarks, which have in part fueled claims by Republicans and the agriculture community that he doesn’t support agriculture. Other instances cited include signing a farmworkers’ bill of rights that was opposed by the industry, encouraging the Agriculture department to support meatless alternatives, declaring a “Meat Out Day,” and making appointments affecting agriculture that exclude representation from the agriculture-producing counties.

He also has signed legislation that provided economic support for the Colorado State Fair, the National Western Stock Show and other agriculture-related fairs, to help farmers and ranchers during the pandemic.

Polis told reporters during a visit to Sterling in September 2020 that he would take a “wait and see” approach on how Kessler and other members of the board perform before making any changes. 

“I think everybody’s waiting to see how the board upholds the professionalism of veterinary medicine,” Polis said, as reported by the Sterling Journal-Advocate. “If they make any missteps, if they do anything detrimental to animal health in ag, then we’ll have to take action.”