Memphis City Council members remained silent during a meeting Tuesday while a council member insulted, threatened, and belittled two county employees and said one’s pronouns were “so irrelevant.”
The angry words came as the council debated rules against pipelines in the city limits. Alex Hensley, special assistant to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, showed up to speak for Harris’ office. Hensley gave each council member a letter, which listed “she/they” as pronouns.
Sounding frustrated, council member Edmund H. Ford, Sr. held up the letter and said, “this is so irrelevant. It’s got ‘Best,’ your name, and then it says ‘she/they.’ Who is she/they?”
“That’s me,” Hensley responded. “That is a letter from me.”
“Okay,” Ford said as someone laughed off camera. “So, you’re she and they. Okay.”
Ford called for the question on the vote before the council before diving into gender issues. However, he did have time to warn Hensley and Harris.
“Don’t you come back here,” Ford threatened Hensley. “You tell [Harris] to bring his behind here. And that’s from me. See there? Now, you can sit your behind down.”
Tuesday’s insult-laden rant was certainly not the first insult-laden rant from Ford. Nearly a year ago, Ford — angered at council member Martavious Jones — said Jones had “butthole problems” and was a “short-ass man” in an open-meeting tirade that ended only when then-Council-Chairwoman Patrice Robinson muted the mics of nearly all council members. The tirade earned Ford an ethics probe initiated by council member JB Smiley, though the probe seemingly fizzled with no formal action against Ford.
Angered by Ford’s treatment of Hensley Tuesday evening, George Boyington, who leads intergovernmental relations and special projects for Shelby County Assessor of Property Melvin Burgess, picked up a public comment card to speak but, ultimately, decided against it.
However, Ford called him out before the council to hear what he had to say and to “blow you out of the water and send you back across the street [to the county building].” Ford claimed Boyington planned to speak with him about “some gender mess,” alluding to Ford’s questions on Hensley’s pronouns.
After calling him out, Ford silenced Boyington, a move seconded by council chairman Frank Colvett who said, “the council member did not recognize you.” Ford told him “don’t ever play with me” and then told him to “get on out of here.” Then, he instructed Boyington to take the microphone, telling him “I want you to look at me” and “don’t ever play with me.” Ford promised to respond to Boyington’s comments but told him “you should never have come over here,” before saying, “go right ahead.”
“I was moved by your remarks toward a colleague of mine earlier,” Boyington began. “I did not feel as a constituent, a tax-paying, law-abiding public official who came over here to address the matter and — being the consummate professional that they are — that such beratement from the dais was warranted, sir.
“Professionally, as a government and legislative affairs officer for a county constitutional officer, I deal with public officials all the time and I have never seen someone talked to so badly about something that has nothing to do with their business. It was very unprofessional, sir. And you calling me from back there, double.”
Ford said, “you know, you’re through. I can call you from wherever in the heck I want to. And if you read her little letter, maybe your behind would not have brought yourself over here. You hear me?”
Earlier in the meeting, Ford promised “I’m not afraid of Melvin Burgess [Boyington’s boss]. I’m not afraid of the county mayor [Harris].” Ford threatened to call Burgess about Boyington’s behavior but later relented.
Not a single other council member spoke up about Ford’s behavior Tuesday evening. However, laughs and applause could be heard as he hurled insults.
