Here is a copy of the complaint against Alder Paul Skidmore with a great explanation of why he should resign. She also takes the mayor to task.Here’s the document. Kilfoy-Flores 9.15.2020
COMPLAINT
On Wednesday September 2nd, 2:45am the City of Madison Common Council passed a historic ordinance to install the most inclusive and powerful police oversight mechanism in the country. Following that vote and before Mayor Satya moved to the next item, Alder Paul Skidmore spoke. Then Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway called on me, Chicana-Indigenous resident and Community Response Team member, Shadayra Kilfoy Flores to make a public comment. Immediately after I was called, at 8 hours, 14 minutes and 23 seconds into the meeting, an individual on mic, who appears to be Alder Paul Skidmore, uttered the word “cunt”. According to Google’s dictionary, “the word cunt is an extremely vulgar slang word for female genitals or a woman in general.”
I recognize that Alder Skidmore has denied that it was him who verbally assaulted me. I believe that it was Alder Skidmore for several reasons. 1. His voice is very distinctive. No other Council member sounds like him. 2. He was the last alder to speak and was having trouble understanding how to turn his microphone on and off. 3. This is not the only instance in which he was making disparaging comments caught on mic during the meeting. For example, shortly thereafter, he disrespectfully muttered “Come on!” when Alder Baldeh was speaking, and in that instance there is no question that it was Alder Skidmore, since he’s captured on video as the speaker. 4. He has a history of speaking and voting in a manner that I believe could be fairly characterized as sexist and racist. 5. He had just lost a 5 year policy battle to Madison residents, including myself, and alders who have fought tooth and nail to see a city where all people feel safe. 6. From dealing with Alder Skidmore in the past, I know that he will operate with little honesty and integrity if it means winning. In fact, he once made up a story about CRT member, Dr. Greg Gelembiuk, stating that Greg swore at a female city attorney and therefore shouldn’t be on the Ad Hoc committee. His story, that he colluded on with City Attorney Michael May, was disproven by a recording of the meeting. He did not realize a recording existed and that his false claims could be disproven when he made them. He is not honest.
I resent the fact that after I had stayed awake until 4am to do MY civic duty by engaging in the local democratic process, she was the target of such vile behavior. Today, while I should be celebrating the historic win of inclusive Civilian Oversight of the Madison Police Department, her experience is overshadowed by another white man who has again taken up all of the space and this time he did so by using violent and ugly language towards me, a Chicana-Indigenous woman.
If the individual responsible for the misogynist utterance refuses to take responsibility, I DEMAND for a thorough investigation, including a forensic and voice identification analysis of the recording. That there was only a very limited set of potential speakers with microphone access should facilitate voice identification analysis.
I also object to elements of a statement released by the Council President and Mayor that attempt to frame this incident as merely a case of deterioration of civility on the Council. That is gaslighting. It implicitly deflects accountability and seeks to justify the action. Moreover, this is not just a personal problem. The speaker is a city official. Misogynistic individuals shouldn’t hold power over others.
It is for this reason that I PERSONALLY DEMAND that you, Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway and the Madison Common Council, to censure the individual responsible, who appears to be Alder Skidmore, and for you to join me in my demand for his resignation. This is my notification of a FORMAL complaint to begin the process of accountability.
WHAT’S NEXT
Yesterday I blogged City Attorney Michael Haas’ memo on what the council can do. Now that a formal complaint has been filed, according to his memo, this is what happens:
Public Hearing to Consider Removal from Office
The most severe alternative is considering the removal of an Alder from office. Wis. Stat. §17.12(1)(a) provides that an Alder may be removed from office only by recall or by the Council after a finding of cause, which is defined as “inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct, or malfeasance in office.” Wis. Stat. 17.001.
Wis. Stat. § 17.16 outlines the process for removing an Alder for cause. Written verified charges (a notarized complaint) must be filed by any resident taxpayer. A speedy hearing must then be held by the Council and the Alder must be given a full opportunity to present a defense against the charges, personally and by legal counsel. Under Wis. Stat. §17.12(1)(d), removal of an Alder requires a three-fourths vote of all members of the Council, or 15 votes.
The costs and expenses of the hearing and any investigation of the charges are paid by the City. However, the Council may require the person bringing the charges to provide a $1,000 bond in order to pay for costs and expenses in the event the Council finds that the complaint was “willful and malicious and without probable cause.”
According to the memo, we are waiting to hear from Attorney Haas
Yesterday the City Clerk received a complaint from Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores, the individual who was introduced to provide public comment at the September 1st Council meeting. The complaint demands that the Mayor and Common Council “censure the individual responsible, who appears to be Alder Skidmore, and for you to join me in my demand for his resignation. This is my notification of a FORMAL complaint to begin the process of accountability.” Our Office will be in contact with Ms. Kilfoy-Flores to clarify her complaint and her request, and will provide a follow-up communication to the Council.
PAUL SKIDMORE’S DISDAIN FOR PUBLIC AMD MEDIA ARE WELL KNOWN
Check this out. In four of the 12 pictures I found of him in a quick google search, Paul is looking into the gallery where the public sits – he sits on the end of the row and the rest of the council and the mayor are in the opposite direction – and glaring.
