A group of West Nashvillians filed an ethics complaint against a Metro councilmember for describing them as "white people," "loud white people" and "affluent white people," saying the terms are slurs. The complaint aimed at District 16 Councilmember Ginny Welsch was filed by a member of Reclaim Brookmeade Park, a group that formed in response to a growing homeless encampment at the greenway.
"We were angered, embarrassed and appalled at being referred to as a 'white people!' by a sitting council person!" reads the complaint, filed by Tim Tomes, a board member of the group. "We consider that a racial slur! Wonder how things would have gone if I was another ethnicity?"
The complaint mentions Welsch, who is also white, describing the group members as white on social media and says she misrepresents their mission. "Does she realize her social media comments could actually put us in danger?" it reads.
Tomes filed two complaints, one on behalf of Reclaim Brookmeade and one as an individual, though the language in both is near identical.
Welsch made the comments at a hearing in February where she grilled interim director of the Metro Homeless Impact Division, Jay Servais, over a controversial plan to house members of the Jefferson Street Bridge camp and close off the area. She said she was worried that the plan did not follow proper data-driven procedures and that it was aiming to appeal to white residents who didn't want to see homeless people in their neighborhoods. Servais denied the Jefferson Street Bridge plan was a "trial run" for Brookmeade Park.
At the hearing, members of Reclaim Brookmeade shouted the comments were "racist." The Scene was present at the hearing, and many in the gallery seats appeared to be white.
"White" is not a slur, but rather a synonym for "Caucasian" and a bubble on a census form. That said, evidence indicates that some white people seem to get upset about the term.
At any rate, Metro Legal Director Wallace Dietz recommended that the complaints be dismissed entirely in a letter to the Board of Ethical Conduct. The board will meet later this month.
Welsch declined to comment on the complaint and dismissal.
While Reclaim Brookmeade's complaints may be dismissed, the group has been celebrating the fact that a bill further criminalizing camping on public property passed the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday night and will make it to the Senate floor next week. Service providers who work with the unhoused communities opposed the bill and stressed it will do nothing to address homelessness, and may in fact make it harder for unhoused Tennesseans to find housing and jobs. (The Scene will have more reporting on the bill soon.)
The Scene obtained a copy of the complaints and the dismissal. See them below.
