For the first time in its history, the Madison Common Council has censured one of its members.
The Council approved a resolution censuring Alder Charles Myadze for “conduct unbecoming an alder” by a vote of 13-2 with two abstentions.
Myadze had already been removed from all of his committee assignments and faces a censure resolution Tuesday that is almost certain to pass, as 13 alders have signed on as sponsors – more than the 11 votes necessary to adopt the resolution.
The resolution cites allegations by three women — a fellow alder, a city employee and a member of the public — that Myadze sexually harassed them.
The resolution does not mention three other women who alleged that Myadze physically abused them over the course of many years, including while he was in office.
During the public comment period, more than 15 people spoke in favor of the resolution while four spoke against it.
“While public shaming doesn’t help people become better, public accounting of harm and consequence can be a necessary tactic,” said City of Madison Equity and Social Justice Division Manager Kristy Kumar said. “There have been devastating consequences on this matter, and so for me, voting in favor of today’s censure resolution is an appropriate tactic for publicly disclosing the negative impacts on those behaviors on our community.
“It is reasonable that an alder is censured for unreasonable conduct displayed repeatedly to multiple people,” RCC executive director Dana Pellebon said. “They all can’t be lying. This isn’t Game of Thrones. He ain’t that important, y’all.”
Michelle McKoy, who made the first public allegations against Myadze of domestic violence in a Facebook video on March 15, addressed Myadze directly.
Speaking against the resolution, Dane County NAACP President Gregory Jones said removing Myadze from the committees was “contradictory to democracy,” and called the censure resolution “vague.”
“(Myadze) did not break the law, but I do believe he violated the trust of the people who elected him,” said Alder MGR Govindaranjan, who authored the resolution. “Elected officials should be held to a higher standard … it is not racist to demand accountability.”
“It is not our job to judge,” alder Isadore Knox said in opposition to the resolution. “The citizens we represent, they judge, and they judge at the ballot box.”
Alder Nasra Wehelie said she supports the women who came forward and does not support Myadze, but abstained from the vote.
“They say women are not believed,” she said. “Yes. But Black men are also not believed.”
The council also approved Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s appointments to replace Myadze on those committees by a 12-4 vote.
The mayor can remove anyone from any committee for any reason without Council approval. Still, some alders questioned the decision to do so.
“I think your actions in this case are prejudicial,” said Alder Isidore Knox. “I think it’s interfering with the ability of the current appointed order to represent his constituents on those committees.”
“Please don’t take away my ability to represent my constiuents,” Myadze said, noting that he rarely missed committee meetings and vowing to continue to attend, even if he can’t vote.
This story will be updated.
