A St. Louis Civil Service Commission hearing that could determine the fate of the city’s personnel director featured several tense moments Tuesday.
Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office wants to fire personnel director Sonya Jenkins-Gray for using a city car to go to Jefferson City on non-city business last year. Jenkins-Gray said she’s being targeted for political reasons.
Jones, who hired Jenkins-Gray in 2022, can’t remove her. Only the city’s civil service can take that action.
The commission hearing got off to a rocky start. Tensions escalated at points between commission hearing officer Edward Sweeney, a retired judge, and Jenkins-Gray’s lawyer, Ronald Norwood, who argued against decisions to dismiss certain motions.
He also criticized how the hearing was conducted, noting a change of time and transportation issues following the winter storm this weekend.
“I’m appalled,” Jenkins-Gray said. “We haven’t had proper notice of anything today.”
Lawyers for the city argued the move was a delay tactic.
The hearing began with questions over how Jenkins-Gray used a city vehicle last year.
She said she didn’t realize she was breaking city policy and reimbursed the city $170 for the travel expenses. Anthony Byrd, a city personnel worker, drove the car on the trip, which lasted past regular business hours.
When questioned by Reggie Harris, the city’s lawyer, Jenkins-Gray detailed the July 3 incident. She said she texted Byrd asking if he could reserve a city vehicle and drive the car to Jefferson City and disclosed the visit wasn’t for city business and involved a personal matter. She said she engaged in city business in the vehicle, taking calls before reaching Jefferson City, where she picked up personal documents from her husband’s car.
Jenkins-Gray didn’t share specifics on the personal matters.
“I'm not willing to put that information out to the public, because they are personal and confidential,” Jenkins-Gray said. “Nobody even in my family knows what those documents are, but my trip was specifically to get those documents.”
Jenkins-Gray filed a lawsuit last year arguing that Jones is using the incident as a political weapon.
Norwood has cited Jones falling out with Jenkins-Gray’s husband, the Rev. Darryl Gray, an activist who endorsed Wesley Bell over then-U.S. Rep. Cori Bush — a Jones ally — in their Democratic congressional primary.
Jenkins-Gray also said officials in the mayor’s office have unsuccessfully tried to influence decisions in the personnel department.
Harris vehemently argued against Norwood’s claims, arguing politics had nothing to do with her potential termination.
“Even if it were the case that there was some political motivation for an employment action, which there was not, but even if that were the case, the issue before the commission is whether or not the director engaged in malfeasance,” Harris said.
The hearing will continue Jan. 15.
