Robert Lipscomb, the director of Housing and Community Development, has been relieved of duties following a criminal complaint “of a sexual nature,” according to a statement issued from Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s office at about 11 p.m. Sunday.
Here’s Wharton’s statement in full:
On Friday, August 21, 2015, Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. and [Memphis Police Department] Director Toney Armstrong spoke by phone to an adult male who made a criminal complaint of a sexual nature against City of Memphis Housing and Community Development Director Robert Lipscomb. This complaint was criminal in nature based on the fact that the individual in question claimed to have been a minor at the time of his alleged sexual encounters with Dir. Lipscomb.
Mayor Wharton immediately ordered Director Armstrong and a team of his top investigators to travel to Seattle, Washington to meet and interview the complainant; this interview took place within days of this individual’s conversation with the mayor and the police director.
Based on this criminal complaint, Mayor Wharton has relieved director Lipscomb of duty pending the results of a full investigation.
“These allegations are extremely disturbing.” Wharton said, “To ensure that we leave no stone unturned, in addition to referring this matter to the District Attorney General’s Office, we will also seek legal counsel as to if any other state or federal agencies should be involved in this investigation.”
This story will be updated as more details become available.
