Inglewood mayor, city named in new lawsuit
Inglewood Mayor James T. Buts Jr. has been named in a new lawsuit that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer can’t pay to make go away. Butts, City Manager Artie Fields and Human Resources Director Jose Cortes are alleged to have been in collusion to end the employment of Butts and Fields long-time executive assistant Melanie McDade-Dickens.
McDade admits to having been in an consensual relationship with Butts, spanning nearly nine years, and once she ended the relationship, things got “creepy”.
She states she believes he abused his relationship with the Police Department, to place a department issued tracking device on her car to monitor her whereabouts. Fields admitted to allowing Butts access to an unmarked police car, outfitted with lights and sirens, which he used to plow into a mother, her child and a Los Angeles Police Department motor office in April 2019.
According to McDade’s 55-page lawsuit, “Butts would randomly show up to places she was on her Friday’s off, including a hair salon in Lakewood where surveillance cameras caught him fiddling near her car.
“Butts’ behavior is one of a 16 year old pimple face school boy,” said Carl Douglas, who is representing McDade. “No man is above the law.”
McDade points out Butts’ office doubles as a motel room, where she was made to “pleasure” him multiple times per week, which included massaging his aching feet.
McDade further points out that she knows Butts’ “secrets” which could include the blueprint to how he rids the city of employees he labels “troublemakers”. A term also used extensively throughout the lawsuit of former Budget and Accounting Manager Barbara Ohno.
McDade claims that Butts restricted her access to her emails, which are also claims made by Treasurer Wanda Brown when she began speaking out on the true state of the city’s finances.
Related: When Inglewood’s treasurer brought up city finances, the mayor cut off her mic
There was growing concern that McDade became one of the city’s highest earners because of her relationship with Butts and that Fields and Cortes were obliged to indulge the mayor’s requests in order to maintain their jobs and annual bonuses.
McDade claims that she was subjected to sexual harassment, abuse, retaliation and defamation by Mayor Butts once she ended their relationship in early 2018. She believes his behavior was ignored by Fields and Cortes who have a duty to keep the workplace a safe environment. Instead, Inglewood City Hall has become a nightmare for the women who work there.
“The City ratified and condoned Butts, Cortes, Fields and Does 1-100 actions, negligently hired, retained and supervised Defendants Butts, Cortes, Fields and retaliated against Ms. McDade and defamed her,” said the lawsuit. “She made a complaint to a government entity and they retaliated against her for blowing the whistle against the all-powerful mayor.”
This resembles the claims made by Barbara Ohno that we examined in our Eye on Mayor Butts series, which broke down the complaints lodged by Ohno when she was repeatedly asked to “look the other way” and do as Butts instructed to defraud federal, state and local agencies.
McDade claims Butts had her give “preference” to his friends and supporters with city jobs, benefits and possible misuse of taxpayer funds, which we pointed out her involvement in wiping out Butts’ campaign donors tax debts to the city.
Related: What’s Going on in Inglewood City Hall: Possible Pay to Play
Possible misuse of taxpayers funds include putting up one of the mayors critics in a city owned house, that later would be rented to a city employee for less than what his critic was paying, who then received the #1 spot in the city’s housing lottery.
Related: The first winner of Inglewood’s home-buyer program is *drum roll* a city employee
Butts has absolute control over City Hall and the police department which attribute to his ability to hire unqualified women for positions in order for him to use their job as leverage to harass them, knowing he will not be subject to any disciplinary actions as it was alleged when he worked with the Los Angeles Airport Police Department.
Despite background checks performed on one employee in the Finance department, she was still approved for a position processing the city’s payroll and having access to confidential employee information, despite protests from the police department.
McDade claims there are other women inside of City Hall being sexually harassed by Mayor Butts, despite his attendance at mandated sexual harassment training classes administered by Human Resources.
He is openly involved with another woman in the city’s administration department, which many have identified as Tunisia Johnson, which has spilled over into her prominent placement in city photos, and outside outings where elected officials and political consultants call her the “new” Melanie.
Johnson was the recipient of a city loan, that she allegedly didn’t qualify for, after notarizing documents related to questionable property transfers, outlined in Ohno’s lawsuit.
2UrbanGirls has fielded multiple calls of individuals seeing Butts and his new lady friend out in public at events typically attended by McDade.
Sadly, Melanie McDade won’t be the first lawsuit, related to Mayor Butts getting handsy with employees. Some of whom welcome his advances as an easy “come up”.
Butts is described as the “Black Donald Trump” in McDade’s lawsuit, when his actions are more akin to Harvey Weinstein and former Los Angeles Councilman Jose Huizar.
Butts abuses his power and authority because there is no one willing to stop him. Former District Attorney Jackie Lacey was his friend and allowed her office to lose case files related to allegations of him personally benefitting from the city’s trash contract. The city will pay out millions to an LAPD motor officer after Butts hit him while driving a city police vehicle while presumably distracted by texting while driving. McDade points out Butts blamed the accident on her because she broke up with him and “ruined his life”.
Coincidentally, the city is instructed to have a distracted drivers campaign as a condition of federal funding they receive to soundproof Inglewood residents homes.
Mayor Butts, as McDade eloquently lays out, is using taxpayer resources to fund his love life while Inglewood voters continue to turn a blind eye because their property value has gone up.
“I agree you have been a wonderful mayor, my home was underwater and lost all its equity,” said Councilmember Dionne Faulk. “Since Inglewood has turned around, with your leadership, my home value has more than doubled.”
Butts has become the city’s largest liability while the council, city staff and residents condone his behavior and continue to either remain silent or vote for him as the city’s leader.
Inglewood voters should be concerned with his continued mistreatment of women, particularly Black women, in his quest to “get shit done” for the alleged benefit of residents.
Just stumbled on 2urbangirls and love the local content! Can someone tell me when the next election for Mayor of Inglewood is? It’s time we move on from this local corruption. I am sad to say I voted for Mayor Butts last time ignorantly not aware of all his drama with women and otherwise. I am hoping some respectable candidates step up to the plate that I can get behind. It’s time to oust Ralph Franklin also in District 4 I’m not seeing him doing anything for our District – am I missing something with him?
Yes, Ralph Franklin is no longer the District 4 Councilman. It’s now Dionne Faulk.
wow
Same shit from this scum bag ,just a different day , I feel for ms brown and
Melody . But just like trump he can be removed also. I’m praying for that .God sits up high and looks down low
And we know one thing he never fail
God will fix it .👿👿🤬🤬🙏🏾🙏🏾
The lawsuit is stupid & desperate and Carl (Clout chasing)Ugly Douglas is thirsty!!
I don’t believe it’s about renters. What I do find deplorable that not only resident’s have to foot the bill for the Mayor’s legal fee’s but also the eventual settlement of this case.
The question begins is this is what we’ve stooped to as a community?
The allegations beyond the sexual affair are disturbing within themselves.
I mean we can debate about two consenting adults in a sexual relationship but what we can’t advocate and allow is elected officials to stalk women, track their vehicles with tracking devices and think that’s cool.
This isn’t the first person whom accused tbe Mayor of this bullying and intimidating behavior.
Wanda the City Clerk did the same thing.
The Mayor’s acts are criminal and using childish logic as being a homeowner or pitting renters vs homeowners is foolish
really!! there are always two sides to a story. In this story lies the truth and Melanie, aka, habitual liar sleep her way into a job and then file a lawsuit when she’s done playing because she thinks she’s found her next pot of gold in the next guy she meets. wait until you hear the facts and nothing but the facts before you place judgment.
Hold on. Mayor Butts knew her history with 100 Black Men of LA and still brought her into the fold. The city manager has to explain why he gifted the mayors girlfriend taxpayer money in exchange for pleasuring him.
HMMM. WAS SHE GIFTED OR DID SHE EARN? ACCORDING TO HER, SHE COMPARTMENTALIZED THE MAYOR’S SO-CALLED HARASSMENT AS SHE DILIGENTLY PERFORMED HER HIRED DUTIES.
The Mayor’s actions exposed the residents to this.
He is not a victim.
In fact his behavior in manipulative and narcissistic
Yes anytime an employee has to file a lawsuit due to harassment in the workplace there is a degree of stupidity ! Wise companies maintain rules that office doors should not be closed if only two persons are in a meeting, or changed the doors to have see through panels.
There should NEVER be a situation where harassment is a possibility , nor should there be a situation where retaliation is possible because NEWSFLASH —AT NO TIME should an employee : 1) be hired, promoted, granted bonuses, or have a job created for them because of sexual relationship ! 2) be involved in a relationship with the person the report to
The desperate one in this experience is the hopeless man who can not find a loving relationship where his sexual desires are met (AKA his own marriage partner ) and resorts to using other peoples money to pay for the attention he craves.
As for the cost, It is the tax paying residents (both renter and property owners), who are and have been paying for the relationship in the form of less service !! Each dollar that the “secretary /assistant “ was given above traditional pay should have been spent on services that benefit the community (ie maintenance, repair, landscaping, youth /senior services) instead of stroking one man‘s ego!! See Transparent California for the actual cash loss so far.
Clearly the other council members, City Manager, and Human Resources director have failed to serve the community. By permitting the Mayor to use even one tax dollar to pay for his personal pleasure they proved they will not accept their responsibility and should not be in a position of authority over any city dollars. That we re-elect any of these persons we are showing we are indeed foolish.
Indeed one desperate man’s inability to control his zipper has created a very ugly situation and that some still praise him makes them look stupid.
Give your real name/+Butts is taking the heat for a corrupt administration/council/incompetent staff/bad choices/ATWELL/ESPARZA/FIELDS ALL INCOMPETENT/ CITY NEEDS A LINE OF CREDIT BECAUSE OF CASH FLOW? WAT DE F—?
I disagree %100. No comparison to Donald trump!!! Waste of time with the lawsuit. Carry on. Homeowners are very happy in Inglewood 😒
Nope homeowners are not happy/are u a member of Butts harem?
EXACTLY!!
Thirsty article.
the only thirsty person in this article is Mayor Butts who obviously isn’t used to having his pick of women unless he’s paying for them with taxpayers money.
😂 you renters are big maaaad 😂
it’s the “gentrifier”! happy new year!
Curious?
What does this article have to do with renters?
Absolutely no correlation
They believe renters are crying because they aren’t homeowners.
It never ends and no accountability. There needs to be a full investigation by the new District Attorney!
100 percent!!! That Man has been greasy for years!!! He needs to be convicted!!!!
You renters are big mad. 😂 Hurry up Gentrification.
This not about renters- all Inglewood residents should be angry that we do without public services because one man wants to be personally “serviced” and we must pay for his lack of zipper control.