Written by Tanya Terry
Flint Councilman Eric Mays had an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to prohibit enforcing his suspension filed in his behalf after recently being suspended for three months.
The motion was filed against Council President Ladel Lewis and Councilwoman Eva Worthing, as well as Flint Police Chief Terence Green, the City of Flint and the Flint Police Department.
Council members voted 5-4 to approve the resolution suspending Mays, which prohibits Mays from attending or taking part in council meetings. The resolution stated Mays has persistently used racial rhetoric towards other council members and accuses him of uses profane language toward other council members as well. The “racist rhetoric” is said to include sales of T-shirts depicting other council members with a derogatory, racist term.
The resolution also states Mays allegedly “mocked and belittled individuals with medical conditions and disabilities” and made constant frivolous motions, which were said to affect the council’s ability to carry out business.
Although Mays was removed from the Dec. 20 meeting by police, during public comment the majority of city residents and members of the public spoke about why he should not be suspended.
“I encourage you, that as a person, we all have our limits,” said one public speaker. “We all have our abilities. I’m trying to encourage you to remember the allegiance of Mr. Mays to the city, regardless of what you think of him. His allegiance is loyalty. These are the things that are most important to the city of Flint now.”
One 1st Ward resident who spoke said: “I’m here in support of Councilman Eric Mays and for a few other issues. We can’t go without a voice. The 1st Ward is hurting. The whole city is hurting.”
Another resident said she was trying to organize a group of people to go pray outside of and for Flint City Hall.
After being accused during public comment of publicly using profanity herself by Former Flint City Councilman Maurice Davis, Councilwoman Ladel Lewis repeated the derogatory and profane words she said were directed at her by the former councilman during his podcast. She said what she publicly did was defend herself by saying she was not what Davis said about her.
Several council members complained Lewis had just done what they were going to vote to possibly suspend Mays for. Lewis stated there was a big difference is what Mays did when he called councilmembers a profane name and what she did. She added she was just stating exactly what was said about her during the podcast. Lewis’ ruling about this matter stood after a vote on it.
Lewis is also accused of attempting to fraud ARPA dollars for her own benefit.
Meanwhile, Mays’ attorney is requesting the motion for Mays before next city council meeting on Jan. 3.
