Kansas City’s new manager faces questions about race discrimination case
Kansas City’s newly minted city manager Brian Platt will start Monday amid accusations he discriminated against employees at his last job and hasn’t communicated with his new colleagues in Kansas City.
And his hiring arose from two rocky votes. The City Council voted 9-4 in October to confirm Platt. And on Thursday, the same split council approved a contract with him. In both discussions, the council’s four Black members raised concerns. Platt was the only white candidate among the four finalists and had the least experience.
Mayor Quinton Lucas had recommended Platt, who was the business administrator for Jersey City, New Jersey, the top unelected job there.
On Thursday, Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, 3rd District, raised another concern: a lawsuit filed against Jersey City by 10 employees who said the city discriminated against them based on race and age and illegally transferred or demoted them. Platt and other city officials were named as defendants.
Robinson said it caused racial tension in Jersey City.
“We’re doubling down on that by giving him this contract, so yes, I am in distress, and there’s a lot of members of this community that’s in distress,” said Robinson, who wanted the council to wait at least a week before voting on the contract so members would have time to ask Platt questions.
According to the lawsuit, Jersey City required employees in the recreation department to apply for new jobs as part of a restructuring plan, which, the suit claimed, violated the state’s civil service rules. It also says plaintiffs were harmed when the city sought to “transfer and/or demote individuals who were vocally critical of the reorganization and job interview process.”
Jersey City moved to have the suit dismissed, saying the employees had been given other positions and had not made an adequate case they were discriminated against. A judge dismissed it in September. An attorney representing the 10 plaintiffs did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday.
Platt told The Star on Friday that the New Jersey Civil Service Commission ruled “no wrongdoing was found at all.” He said no Kansas City council members had brought up the case in conversations with him.
Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman told The Star she did not think Kansas City needed to be concerned about the lawsuit. She said she believed it was filed because of fear and misunderstanding by the employees thinking they might lose their jobs, but that wasn’t the case.
Watterman said Platt is helpful, listens and will “do Kansas City well.”
“Brian is definitely a team player; he works with people very well,” Watterman said. “And they shouldn’t feel threatened or fear … any type of racism. I can’t see that, and I’ve worked with him ever since I got in office in 2013.”
Lucas said he had not heard of significant racial disputes stemming from Platt’s time in Jersey City and said it was “unfair” not to consider the positive comments he has heard from Black elected officials there, including Watterman.
“We have approved dozens of settlements, many of which have related to racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, any number of issues. I never heard anyone make that part of the review of City Manager (Troy) Schulte or of acting City Manager (Earnest) Rouse,” Lucas said.
Lucas was the only Black person to vote in favor of Platt’s appointment in October and in favor of the contract Thursday.
Council members also criticized what they saw as limited communication from Platt following his confirmation vote.
Councilwoman Katheryn Shields, 4th District at-large, said Thursday she encouraged Platt to build relationships with council members and was “really distressed” he was setting up meetings with community leaders and civic groups instead.
“And unfortunately since that day while he has made some rather perfunctory calls, I think, to people — two or three minutes or less in length — he hasn’t really done that,” said Shields, who made a motion to hold the legislation, which failed on a narrow 6-7 vote. Shields ultimately voted for the employment agreement.
In a statement, Platt said he has already had introductory interactions with every council member.
“And I look forward to speaking with and learning from each of them about the needs of their districts and how I can best play a role in supporting them, as we work to build a better Kansas City for all,” he said.
Platt was chosen from a group of four finalists that also included Milton Dohoney, of Phoenix; Kevin Jackson, of Long Beach, California; and Janice Allen Jackson, of Augusta, Georgia.
In October, the council’s four Black members voted against his appointment, noting that he was the only white candidate. They also were concerned that they learned of Lucas’ recommendation from a blog in New Jersey, which later took down the article.
“There is a saying in the African American community — you have to be twice as prepared to get half as much,” Robinson said at the time.
Robinson and council members Brandon Ellington, Lee Barnes and Ryana Parks-Shaw voted against Platt’s contract.
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 12:58 PM.
