PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Tunstall District Supervisor Vic Ingram is speaking out after he was censured by the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors for comments made in text messages.

Ingram was censured at Tuesday night’s board of supervisors meeting  after allegedly sending text messages that some board members “construed as racist and discriminatory regarding another board member,” according to a statement from the county.

Ingram reportedly compared Banister District Rep. Dr. Charles Miller, Jr. to famed musician Ray Charles during a board meeting. Miller was wearing dark sunglasses and using a cane because of a medical procedure on his eyes.

Five members of the board of supervisors approved a resolution to censure Ingram for “conduct unbecoming a Supervisor that has been detrimental to the Board, the County, and County Staff.”

Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Warren spoke on behalf of the Board and apologized to Miller.

Ingram decried the censure as “nasty politics.” The 65-year-old supervisor said he has never been accused of being a racist and called the 5-to-2 censure vote “a very effective hit job.”

In a recent editorial in the Chatham Star Tribune, Ingram endorsed Miller’s opponent in the board of supervisor’s race, former Banister River representative Jesse Barksdale. Ingram also expressed opposition to county administrator David Smitherman.