Members of the Martinsville City Council are remaining largely quiet about the federal lawsuit filed by council member Aaron Rawls against the city manager and city sheriff’s deputy.
Council members each cited the pending litigation as their reason for not commenting on the suit that Rawls filed against City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides and Deputy Reva Keen.
“Due to this being an ongoing legal matter it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time,” Vice-Mayor Kathy Lawson said in an email. “Moving forward, we as a council have to work together for the betterment of our citizens, our administration/employees, and our community. As I have stated numerous times, we don’t always agree but we can disagree with [respect] to others. So my plan is moving forward with respect for the betterment of our community/citizens/administration.”
Other council members also declined to comment.
The council’s Tuesday meeting was the first public meeting in which Rawls, Ferrell-Benavides and the rest of the council were in attendance. Neither any of the council members nor the pair of residents who signed up to speak at the meeting mentioned the suit. It was business as usual among officials and staff, who all conducted themselves no differently than in past meetings.
Rawls filed the case June 2 in U.S. District Court in Danville. The suit alleges that the pair acted in violation of Rawls’ First, Fourth and 14th amendment rights. The alleged violations are concerned with Rawls’ right to speech, freedom from unlawful seizure and deprivation of liberty.
The suit stems from an incident in which a deputy escorted the councilman from the council chambers during a meeting.
The incident happened March 25, at the end of the council’s regular session. During the portion of the meeting where councilors made comments, Rawls expressed his concerns over raising Ferrell-Benavides’ pay. During Rawls’ comments, Mayor L.C. Jones tried to verbally maintain order, after which Keen approached Rawls and allowed him to collect his belongings before escorting him out of the building.
In a press conference days after the incident, Jones said that he did not signal to Keen to have Rawls removed from the chamber.
Rawls, who held his own press conference two days after the incident, said he believed that Ferrell-Benavides signaled Keen to have him removed. His suit reflects this.
“An armed Deputy Sheriff, acting at the direction of the city manager, immediately seized Rawls and forced him to leave his chair, leave the meeting, and leave the building where the meeting was being held,” the suit reads.
Ferrell-Benavides was on personal leave when the suit was filed but has since returned. She could not be reached for comment.
At Rawls’ press conference, which he co-hosted with fellow council member Julian Mei, Rawls alluded to possible litigation but didn’t give details. In both the press conference and later in the suit, Rawls raised the question of who has the authority to maintain order during meetings, and whether that authority extends to presiding elected officials.
“Neither the city manager nor any deputy sheriff has any authority to initiate any action with respect to the preservation of order and decorum among members of city council at meetings of the council,” the suit says. “As a member of City Council, elected by the citizens of Martinsville, Rawls had the authority and right to remain in his seat on the dais throughout the March 25 Meeting.”
Since the original filing, there has not been an update on the case.