Mayor James T. Butts Jr. Denies Inappropriate Touching Claims As Inglewood City Leaders Rally Behind Him
Mayor accuses rivals of smear campaign amid groping allegations at community event.
The city of Inglewood has experienced significant disruption over the course of the last week as local officials and community members gather to address swirling rumors concerning the city’s leader. The focus of this attention centers on Mayor James T. Butts Jr. He addressed the situation during a news conference held outside City Hall. The event was emotional as the mayor spoke publicly for the first time regarding accusations that he acted inappropriately at a recent community gathering.
Butts is facing claims that he inappropriately touched a high school student during a group photo taken at the city’s recent Votechella event held on the lawn outside City Hall. The student and her family have not released any public statements regarding this specific incident. A representative for the family has stated that they have been advised by legal counsel to allow the investigation to proceed without comment from them. This representative declined to identify the specific agency conducting the investigation.
During an eight-minute address, the mayor strongly denied the allegations. He characterized the accusations as a libelous and racist smear campaign. Butts stated that the attacks against him are driven by local political activists. He argued that these attacks depict him as a Black man who is unable to control his impulses. The mayor noted that no evidence of a formal complaint has been filed by the alleged victim or her family. He concluded his remarks by returning inside the building without answering questions from the media or residents.
The allegations against the mayor, who has served as the city’s chief executive since 2010, came to light on Thursday. A coalition of political activists organized a news conference at the same location where the community event took place. None of the speakers at this previous event claimed to have witnessed the alleged touching. However, three attendees of Votechella told reporters that they observed the student appearing uncomfortable as the mayor pulled her close to him for a photograph. These individuals chose to remain anonymous due to concerns regarding personal safety.
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Local activist Najee Ali spoke at the Thursday news conference regarding the nature of the accusations. Ali emphasized the responsibility of adults to believe and protect minors when they report misconduct. He stated that the adults in the situation have a duty to demand accountability. In response to the public discussion, Butts announced that he has served the activists circulating the claims with cease-and-desist letters. The mayor indicated that these individuals will be held accountable for what he termed their slander and libelous defamation, which he described as having no direct source or facts.
The political landscape of Inglewood appears to be a focal point of this developing story. Two of the activists involved in the news conference, Yolanda Davidson and Leonard Redway, are running for a seat on the City Council for District 1. Additionally, the mayor pointed to the opposition surrounding Measure BB as a factor in the current conflict. This local ballot measure is supported by the operators of SoFi Stadium and the Kia Forum. The measure seeks to eliminate commercial advertising on kiosks and billboards in the public right-of-way within Inglewood. Butts argues that this measure would deprive the city of an estimated $8 million in annual revenue. The mayor has not explicitly confirmed a connection between the backers of Measure BB and the
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First reported by LA Times: California.
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