A petition is circulating in Valley Stream calling for the resignation of a village trustee over text messages that were sent to a resident with Asperger's syndrome.

Screenshots of the messages sent by trustee Vincent Grasso to 21-year-old Amil Virani show him calling Virani "special ed," and saying he should go back to his coloring books.

The messages go on to show Grasso calling Virani a "spectrum kid," referencing developmental issues.

Virani shared the messaging on his Facebook page. Virani says he has been messaging Grasso for months, asking him to meet for coffee and questioning him on his political leadership in Nassau County. He says Grasso's resume isn't portraying who he is and what he is doing.

Virani's friend created an online petition earlier this week that has close to 350 signatures, asking for Grasso to make a public apology, make policy changes to this behavior, and hold him accountable.

"I wish there was more professionalism," says Virani. "It disheartens me that he's insulting the same people who are paying his salary, that's the worst part. It's not the insults, because people will say things online as jokes or as trolling people, but this an elected official and I have never seen him say anything on Facebook that made me take him seriously, that was ever a nice gesture or anything or if it was even factual. I've never seen that at all."

Trustee Grasso says this is a form of cyberbullying. He issued a statement to News 12 saying in part, "He has obsessively called my employer trying to get personal information about me, recording those conversations and threatening to post them online unless I would go on a date with him. He has hounded me to send him pictures of myself or to call him, posting insulting things on social media about me and my family."

Grasso says Virani is a very troubled young man. He says Virani stalked and harassed him despite multiple pleas to be left alone. Grasso says dealing with a stalker is "extremely unpleasant and after six months of frustration." He says that led him to make remarks he regrets.

The village mayor also released a statement that says he is aware of the comments and that Grasso owes an apology. He says Grasso must be held accountable for his actions.