San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones directed unspecified threats towards District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur throughout a dispute earlier this month that’s since escalated right into a pending vote whether or not to censure the mayor, a Metropolis Corridor insider advised the Present.
The individual, who wished to stay nameless for concern of retaliation, didn’t witness the incident between Jones and Kaur firsthand, however is near the matter. The individual additionally didn’t elaborate on the character of the purported threats and whether or not they have been bodily or concerned skilled or political retaliation.
Nevertheless, the individual emphasised that the closed-door confrontation between Jones and Kaur is extra extreme than the mayor has led the general public to consider.
When requested Tuesday afternoon whether or not she threatened Kaur in any means, Jones advised the Present: “In fact not.” Jones has publicly characterised her run-in with Kaur as a heated dialogue by which the mayor raised her voice and used expletives however didn’t “demean” the councilwoman.
Nevertheless, the Metropolis Corridor supply’s allegation appears doable based mostly on findings of a third-party investigation into the argument that have been launched Monday by a third-party supply and requested by members of council. The probe by New Braunfels-based labor lawyer Natalie C. Rougeux of Rougeux & Associates discovered that Jones violated Part 4.80 of Metropolis Council’s code of conduct, which addresses violence within the office.
The nameless supply stated they felt compelled to talk as a result of they’re involved Jones is manipulating public opinion by mischaracterizing the dialog she had with Kaur. The exact particulars of the dialog haven’t been launched to council or the general public resulting from attorney-client privilege, the individual added.
The “Violence within the Office” part of Metropolis Council’s code of conduct prohibits greater than bodily violence, extending to incorporate “threatening conduct” and even “inappropriate humor.”
“The Metropolis of San Antonio (Metropolis) is dedicated to sustaining a office that’s free from hostility, violence and threats of violence,” the coverage states. “The Metropolis has a zero tolerance coverage for office violence, to incorporate home violence and, as such, will examine each report of alleged office violence. This consists of inappropriate humor as a result of intent could not at all times be recognized or understood by others. The Metropolis is not going to tolerate hostile acts, violent or threatening conduct or verbal or bodily threats within the office or on Metropolis property.”
Throughout a Monday look on Texas Public Radio’s The Supply with David Martin Davies, Jones stated she raised her voice at Kaur and “dropped the F-bomb” in the course of the pair’s heated dialogue. Nevertheless, she stated she by no means demeaned her colleague in the course of the confrontation.
The mayor reiterated that model of occasions at a Tuesday Morning press convention, throughout which she said that she’d supplied an in-person apology to Kaur for “hurting her emotions.”
“I mustn’t have raised my voice, and I mustn’t have used profanity,” Jones stated.
Even so, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez in Monday night time Fb dialog recommended there was extra to the current blowup than yelling or foul language.
“I’ve no motive to be something however neutral on this subject,” McKee-Rodriguez wrote. “I additionally am not one to clutch my pearls over slightly cussing or a raised voice. I’ve had many cussing matches with my colleagues and I’ve even advised a pair to look at their fucking mouths after they’re chatting with me lol. What we discovered at the moment was nicely past yelling or saying fuck, and that makes the distinction to me tbh.”
“TBH” is a generally used web abbreviation for “to be trustworthy.”
McKee-Rodriguez has been amongst Jones’s closest allies as she’s discovered herself at odds with different members of Metropolis Council on quite a lot of points.
Kaur declined remark for this text.
“To keep up the integrity of the method based mostly on an exterior, unbiased investigation, I’m recusing myself from this week’s conferences relating to the censure,” she advised the Present in a textual content message.
Kaur added that she’s going to launch an official assertion after council votes whether or not to censure Jones. That vote is scheduled for Friday.
Jones can be the primary San Antonio mayor in fashionable historical past to be censured if council votes in favor of the decision. The decision additionally requests that Jones “step apart” as chair of council’s Governance Committee for 3 months, subject a written apology to Kaur and take part in in-person management coaching.
Nevertheless, throughout Tuesday morning’s press convention, Jones stated she doesn’t plan on doing any of these three issues, even when she’s censured.
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One political knowledgeable warns the vote might come again to chunk council members who sought it, particularly if the general public perceives the transfer as a waste of time.
Throughout a city corridor, Jones declined to reply reporters’ questions in regards to the upcoming dialogue of a possible censure vote.
Andrew Fuentes is the fourth individual to serve within the function for the reason that mayor took workplace final June.
