Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. has denied an allegation that he touched a high-school student inappropriately at a youth voter-registration event, as the teenager’s lawyer prepares a legal claim against the mayor and the California city.
The allegation concerns Votechella, held at Inglewood City Hall on 15 September. Attorney Jason Glasgow said the student had been taking part in a group photograph when Mr Butts allegedly held her by exposed skin and failed to let go when the picture was over.
Mr Glasgow said the student reported the incident that evening to school district staff and city officials. He also alleged that the mayor later visited the family home with city clerk Aisha Thompson and apologised to the student and her father.
Mr Butts disputes that account. In a statement, he said he had been asked by the student’s father to attend the house and insisted that there had been “a friendly conversation”. He said he had not apologised because “there was nothing to apologise for”.
The lawyer is filing a claim under California’s Government Claims Act, a step generally required before legal action can be brought against a public authority. No criminal charges have been filed.
Mr Glasgow has called for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to investigate, arguing that the Inglewood Police Department should not be responsible for examining an allegation involving the city’s mayor. He said his office had asked for the sheriff’s department to take over.
He also said surveillance footage from city cameras exists but has not been released. A public-records request submitted on 30 September has, he claimed, been granted two extensions, with the latest response date set for 6 November — three days after the city’s election.
Mayor calls allegation political warfare
Mr Butts said Inglewood police were conducting an open investigation and had interviewed witnesses. He added that the footage would be published once the inquiry had ended, without giving a timetable.
“I did not and would not touch anyone inappropriately,” he said, describing the legal announcement so close to the election as “obvious political warfare”. Mr Butts is seeking re-election on 3 November.
The dispute became public in September after activists and local candidates held a news conference outside City Hall calling for the mayor to resign. At a subsequent appearance, Mr Butts described the allegations as “baseless, unsourced, and completely false”.
The student’s family, which has not publicly identified her, said she should be allowed to complete her final year of school with dignity and privacy. It called for any use of public resources or official authority to conceal misconduct or discourage scrutiny to be independently examined.
The allegation remains unproven and the mayor has not been charged. The city’s response to the records request is due on 6 November, after voters have chosen whether to return Mr Butts to office.
