Investigation sought by Joplin council member of Jackson treatment

Another investigation of some members of the Joplin City Council is being conducted following allegations made against them by censured member Ryan Jackson and newly elected councilwoman Mary Price.

Price this week asked for a probe into the treatment of Jackson by other council members who were trying to look into Jackson's recent conduct.

Price, near the end of a council meeting Monday where a disciplinary hearing regarding Jackson's behavior was conducted, called for the preservation of any records and a probe into allegations that former Mayor Keenan Cortez and former Mayor Pro Tem Josh DeTar allegedly mistreated Jackson. Price said they had Jackson escorted to an office after an April 13 council session, where she said alleged council leaders used "threats and intimidation."

It was at that meeting that dozens of people gathered outside Joplin City Council chambers to protest comments recently made by Jackson. Others also protested in the meeting.

Price alleged the council members violated the council's code of ethics by trying to force Jackson to resign his seat following complaints that he belittled some LGBTQ candidates in the April 7 election and threatened a television reporter who called Jackson for an explanation regarding his comments.

There is a photo on social media of Jackson walking between two police officers that evening as he is escorted to the office where the council leaders went to discuss his behavior with him. He was not in police custody or wearing any type of restraints.

Jackson was admonished Monday by a majority vote of the City Council for violation of the council ethics regarding his comments and actions toward LGBTQ candidates Natasha Klue-Michael, Jamie Jukebox Hammond, and self-identified transgender candidate Ellie Wolsey. Wolsey was listed on the ballot as Mathew Wolsey because law requires a person's birth name be used on election ballots.

City Attorney Peter Edwards said at Monday's meeting that he had a discussion with Jackson about the facts that were outlined in the documents that were the basis of the council's decision to censure Jackson for his conduct.

"I don't believe there are any real disputes as to the factual allegations, is that correct," Edwards said. Jackson said that was correct.

The city attorney asked Jackson if he wanted more time to prepare, saying the council could set the hearing for a later date.

"It's really up to Mr. Jackson if he would like to move forward tonight or if he would rather prepare," for his conduct hearing, Edwards said.

Jackson said he had one thing to say at that point, which was in regard to his comments to Dustin Lattimer, the television reporter who had called Jackson to ask if he wished to comment on his election day posts. Instead, Jackson threatened to post the private phone numbers and email addresses of Lattimer, the news director and the general manager of the KSNF/KODE television station on anti-LGBTQ social media pages, according to the station's news report.

Jackson also accused them of lying to their viewers by referring to Wolsey by his preferred transgender identity.

"I spoke out of anger, and it was not correct," Jackson said at the council meeting of his comments to Lattimer. "The tonality was terrible. The messaging could have been handled so much better, and I apologize.

"It was the moment that the straw broke the camel's back. There were a lot of things going on councilwise and other things. But it doesn't make it right," he said of his treatment of the television news staff.

Jackson also said at the Monday council meeting that the media should have handled reports regarding his comments differently, though he did not say how it should have been done and did not say the reports were in error.

That drew comments from the audience. "There is no way to handle it differently," one resident called out.

Rather than removing him from council, Jackson said he preferred that the council move forward on a motion by council member Brian Cowles for sanctions. The removal motion failed with four "yes" votes and five "no" votes. It would have required seven votes in favor to pass, the city attorney said.

Edwards directed council members' attention to the council's code of ethics and said it takes a simple majority vote of the council to make a finding that Jackson violated the code of ethics.

Mayor Rob O'Brian asked Jackson if he had anything to say before the vote.

Jackson said, "What I will say is that every citizen of the United States is entitled to their freedom of speech and that is not changed any on the job we have (to do)."

Former mayor Keenan Cortez, who during council reorganization after the election was elected mayor pro tem, said there were previous comments made by Jackson in what the mayor considered bigoted speech. Cortez said that Jackson had called homeless people "thugs" and "bums." Jackson had been counseled by the mayor and mayor pro tem a year earlier about things he said or posted on social media that could be considered inappropriate.

But after he was sanctioned, Jackson made allegations regarding the April 13 meeting between him, Cortez and DeTar regarding their treatment of him in the private meeting. Jackson said, "I was taken to a room last Monday and I was given ultimatums."

Price made a motion for the council to investigate allegations that Jackson was subjected to threats and intimidation. Price's motion included a request to preserve all records regarding the alleged incident. The motion for the investigation was approved 5-4.

There was no due date given for the report of the investigation to be provided to the council.

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