San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones directed unspecified threats toward District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur during a dispute earlier this month that’s since escalated into a pending vote whether to censure the mayor, a City Hall insider told the Current.
The person, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, didn’t witness the incident between Jones and Kaur firsthand, but is close to the matter. The person also didn’t elaborate on the nature of the purported threats and whether they were physical or involved professional or political retaliation.
However, the person emphasized that the closed-door confrontation between Jones and Kaur is more severe than the mayor has led the public to believe.
When asked Tuesday afternoon whether she threatened Kaur in any way, Jones told the Current: “Of course not.” Jones has publicly characterized her run-in with Kaur as a heated discussion in which the mayor raised her voice and used expletives but didn’t “demean” the councilwoman.
However, the City Hall source’s allegation seems possible based on findings of a third-party investigation into the argument that were released Monday by a third-party source and requested by members of council. The probe by New Braunfels-based labor attorney Natalie C. Rougeux of Rougeux & Associates found that Jones violated Section 4.80 of City Council’s code of conduct, which addresses violence in the workplace.
The anonymous source said they felt compelled to speak because they are concerned Jones is manipulating public opinion by mischaracterizing the conversation she had with Kaur. The precise details of the conversation haven’t been released to council or the public due to attorney-client privilege, the person added.
The “Violence in the Workplace” section of City Council’s code of conduct prohibits more than physical violence, extending to include “threatening behavior” and even “inappropriate humor.”
“The City of San Antonio (City) is committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from hostility, violence and threats of violence,” the policy states. “The City has a zero tolerance policy for workplace violence, to include domestic violence and, as such, will investigate every report of alleged workplace violence. This includes inappropriate humor because intent may not always be known or understood by others. The City will not tolerate hostile acts, violent or threatening behavior or verbal or physical threats in the workplace or on City property.”
During a Monday appearance on Texas Public Radio’s The Source with David Martin Davies, Jones said she raised her voice at Kaur and “dropped the F-bomb” during the pair’s heated discussion. However, she said she never demeaned her colleague during the confrontation.
The mayor reiterated that version of events at a Tuesday Morning press conference, during which she stated that she’d offered an in-person apology to Kaur for “hurting her feelings.”
“I should not have raised my voice, and I should not have used profanity,” Jones said.
Even so, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez in Monday night Facebook conversation suggested there was more to the recent blowup than yelling or foul language.
“I have no reason to be anything but impartial on this issue,” McKee-Rodriguez wrote. “I also am not one to clutch my pearls over a little cussing or a raised voice. I’ve had many cussing matches with my colleagues and I’ve even told a couple to watch their fucking mouths when they’re speaking to me lol. What we learned today was well beyond yelling or saying fuck, and that makes the difference to me tbh.”
“TBH” is a commonly used internet abbreviation for “to be honest.”
McKee-Rodriguez has been among Jones’s closest allies as she’s found herself at odds with other members of City Council on a variety of issues.
Kaur declined comment for this article.
“To maintain the integrity of the process based on an external, independent investigation, I am recusing myself from this week’s meetings regarding the censure,” she told the Current in a text message.
Kaur added that she will release an official statement after council votes whether to censure Jones. That vote is scheduled for Friday.
Jones would be the first San Antonio mayor in modern history to be censured if council votes in favor of the resolution. The resolution also requests that Jones “step aside” as chair of council’s Governance Committee for three months, issue a written apology to Kaur and participate in in-person leadership training.
However, during Tuesday morning’s press conference, Jones said she doesn’t plan on doing any of those three things, even if she’s censured.
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