Apr. 7—MOULTON — City Councilwoman Cassandra Lee said this week that after she reported feeling threatened by the city clerk late last year, Moulton Mayor Roger Weatherwax refused to act, but in a recent situation he fired a city employee on harassment allegations.
Lee said the two situations show the city is "operating with double standards across the board." She also said during Monday's council meeting that the mayor has shown favoritism on City Hall access and blocked public input.
Weatherwax fired Water Department Supervisor Jerry "Jay" Johnson last month on harassment allegations. Lee said that after she felt threatened by City Clerk Deroma Pepper following a council meeting in November, Weatherwax declined to address the situation or discipline the clerk.
"I come here to do what I've been elected to do, and I should feel safe," Lee said during Monday night's council meeting.
Both Lee and Pepper agree they had words and voices were raised in the council chamber following a meeting Nov. 15.
"I am a city councilperson," Lee said. "This is my place of my work at least three times out of the month. I should feel safe when I come here to work. I have a right to speak. I was approached by an employee (Pepper) who came to my face and said, 'I'm tired of you.' I told the mayor 'come get your employee,'" Lee said she said at the time of the altercation.
"That behavior is not appropriate. You don't come after a city councilperson. She didn't touch me, but I told her, 'You're in my face. COVID-19. You're in my face. Get back.' ... I went to the leader of this city and was told he felt nothing was wrong."
Lee said she called the League of Municipalities in Montgomery and was told if she felt threatened to file a police report, which she did on Nov. 16, according to Moulton Police Chief Craig Knight.
In an email to the Daily, Knight wrote "a documentation report was filed with the Moulton Police Department. This was due to disagreements and/or arguments that were arising between two City of Moulton employees. It was determined that this was a personnel matter and that there was no evidence of a crime that was being violated. Therefore, the Moulton Police Department considers this matter to be closed and will have no further action."
Pepper on Tuesday afternoon said the mayor made her aware that a complaint had been filed against her with the Police Department.
"She filed a complaint. Anybody can do that. It obviously had no substance. There's been no discipline," Pepper said.