Michael Brooks announces resignation of his Kansas City Council seat (updated, with documents)

The tumultuous political career of Kansas City’s 5th District councilman is coming to an end. Michael Brooks informed the City Council and Mayor Sly James that he will resign his seat, effective January 2.

Brooks sent the notice on Wednesday, one day after Kansas City’s legal department sent the council a memo outlining the procedures for disciplining and/or removing a sitting councilman from office. Bill Geary, Kansas City’s attorney, wrote on Tuesday that he planned to put the Brooks matter on the council docket for a first reading on Thursday.

Brooks says an “ongoing media circus” and “concern for his family, loved ones, colleagues, church members, and citizens of Kansas City, as well as myself” prompted his decision to leave office before his first term is over. 

The resignation isn’t surprising: Brooks faced workplace-violence allegations from his former council aide, Tonia Titus. Titus told Kansas City police that Brooks choked her during the afternoon of November 4 after making a remark about her hair style. Titus replied that she liked her hair the way it was, making sure to add that her boyfriend liked her hair, too, according to the police report.

Geary’s letter to the council says that according to claims made by Titus, Brooks had committed several instances of “unwanted touching” of his female aide, conduct that escalated to what she called violence against her, including being punched and slapped, going back as far as March 2012. 

Geary’s letter does not present Titus’ allegations as fact, and adds that “there are discrepancies between statements of Ms. Titus and Councilman Brooks.”

“He refutes each of the allegations made against him; he suggests a reason for Ms. Titus’ behavior,” Geary writes. 

Geary received information from an investigation carried out by local labor lawyer Donald Prophete, who was hired to look into the accusations against Brooks. Geary planned to leave it up to the City Council to decide which side was persuasive through public hearings. Brooks’ resignation may stave off that process.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker has referred a parallel police investigation to a special prosecutor because one of her staffers, Alissa Canady, is running against Brooks.

Brooks, a married pastor at Zion Grove Baptist Church, hasn’t accomplished as much as a public servant as he has attracted negative attention in his not-quite four years as a councilman. Brooks helped secure city funding for a group called P.O.S.S.E., which purported to have boxer Floyd Mayweather on his way to Kansas City to speak to a group of youngsters. It later emerged that P.O.S.S.E. didn’t really have a plan to bring the boxer to town. Moreover, the whole idea to have the celebrity offer a motivational speech to kids was a dumb idea in the first place because Mayweather has a history of domestic violence.

It later emerged that Brooks may have been manipulated into getting city money for the Mayweather event because P.O.S.S.E. leaders discovered that Brooks had sent pictures of his penis to a woman who isn’t Brooks’ wife.

That’s the type of tenure that Brooks has experienced as a councilman. If he shows up to council meetings, he looks disinterested, often has little to add to the conversation if he speaks at all, and spends much of his time there playing with his phone.

His pity-me complaint about the “media circus” is one of his own doing. 

Brooks says in his resignation letter that he will clear out his office over the holidays.

The text of his resignation letter is below (more to come)

December 17, 2014

Mayor/City Manager/Council,

I regret to inform you of my decision to resign from the Council. Due to the ongoing media circus, and out of concern for my family, loved ones, colleagues, church members, and citizens of Kansas City, as well as myself, I believe it is in everyone’s best interest to take this action at this time. Sometime ago, I made the decision to not to run for reelection, and based on all that has occurred, I feel it is not prudent for me to continue my duties at this time.

Therefore, I am offering my resignation today, to become effective January 2, 2015. There are a few projects with the Health Commission, Violence Free KC Committee, and Head Start Advisory Board I’d like to complete and pass on to their leadership. There are personnel issues I need to speak the Director of HR about. I will clear out my office over the holidays. If that is not desirable on your part please just let me know.

It has been an honor serving on the City Council and the citizens of the 5th District. Thank for the opportunity to serve and best wishes.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Brooks, City Councilman
5th District Kansas City, Mo.

Geary’s letter is below.
https://www.scribd.com/embeds/250408639/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true