RICHMOND, Va. -- Former City Council Member Marty Jewell and School Board Member Derik Jones had a heated exchange at Monday night’s School Board meeting and it was all captured on video.
“I'm sorry, Reverend Jones, I got to talk about your daddy. I think he done lost it. He's lost it!” Jewell said to Jones about his father, Mayor Dwight Jones, during public comment.
“Marty, Marty... don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that,” Jones responded.
“I've done it!” Jewell said.
Jewell is mad at Mayor Jones for not giving the school system more money in his proposed budget, and at the meeting he wanted to make that point loud and clear to Derik Jones.
But, Jones wasn’t having it and interrupted Jewell in an attempt to stop him.
“You not going to disrespect... you not going to disrespect my family... you not going to disrespect my family,” Jones said.
A police officer even made her way to the podium before Jones stood up along with two other board members who tried to calm him down.
“Now... your passive aggressive B.S. I will put up with, but you will not call his name in here,” Jones said.
CBS 6 reporter Melissa Hipolit tracked Jewell down to talk about the heated exchanged.
He said he was not allowed to finish his public comments and said Jones should never have interrupted him.
“If my father was in politics, I'd had to suck it up. You don't get in this game and pussy foot around,” Jewell said.
But, Jones said Jewell acted “childishly and disrespectfully.”
Jones said he is out of town, but spoke to CBS6 reporter Melissa Hipolit by phone.
“Mr. Jewell needs to learn how to speak to people. And that you cannot be disrespectful even when you disagree, and he needs to find better ways to communicate when he disagrees. Obviously he does not know how to disagree respectfully. And he has to understand there are consequences to disrespect,” Jones said.
Yet, Jewell contends he did nothing wrong, but Board Chair Jeff Bourne offered this at the end of the altercation.
“Okay. So, before we get, before we get started again. I would just ask respectfully that we offer our public comments in a respectful way,” Bourne said.
Now that things have simmered down, Jewell said the whole situation is “unfortunate,” and he will continue to fight for more funding for Richmond’s schools.
Transcript of heated exchange:
Marty: “I’m sorry, Reverend Jones, I got to talk about your daddy. I think he done lost it (clapping). He’s lost it! And then doubled down this past weekend. What the ham sandwich are we…”
Derik: “Marty, Marty… don’t do that. Don’t do that. Don’t do that. Don’t do that.”
Marty: “I’ve done it!”
Derik: “Don’t do it.”
Marty: “I’ve done it!”
Derik: “Don’t do it.”
Marty: “The fact of the matter is, this makes no sense.”
Derik: “Get a grip.”
Marty: “Um, the fact is, that, um, you threw me off, doc.”
Derik: “(indecipherable) throw you off.”
Marty: “Well, I ain’t finished. I ain’t finished with you or him.”
Derik: “Yeah, you are finished.”
Marty: “Trust me…”
Derik: “Because what you saying…”
Marty: “Leave it alone now, I’m trying to speak.”
Derik: “But you, you not speaking the right way.”
Marty: “Let me speak!”
Derik: “You not going to disrespect… you not going to disrespect my family… you not going to disrespect my family.”
Marty: “You’re not going to interrupt my conversation here, and I’m asking the chairman if he’ll allow me to finish!” (They are talking over each other here.)
Derik: “…if you insist on disrespecting my family, take it out of here!”
Jeff Bourne: “Stand in recess.”
Derik: “Take it out of here!”
Marty: “You don’t have to do that. I’m willing to…”
Derik: “When you (indecipherable) names, you’re wrong. Don’t do it!”
Marty: “You can show me no law that says I can’t call names in here.”
Derik: “You can’t call names! It’s policy that you can’t call names!”
Marty: “Your policy is illegal!”
Derik: “Now… your passive aggressive B.S. I will put up with, but you will not call his name in here.”
Shonda (I think) to Derik: “Let’s walk. Let’s walk.”
Derik: “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good.”
Shonda: “You good?”
Derik: “I’m good.”
Shonda: “Okay. Let’s take a walk.”
Derik: “I don’t have to take a walk. But he’s not gonna disrespect my family.”
Jeff Bourne: “Okay. So, before we get, before we get started again. I would just ask respectfully that we offer our public comments in a respectful way.”
