TEXARKANA -- The Texarkana Board of Directors signed a letter of censure Tuesday for City Director Laney Harris for actions Mayor Ruth Penney-Bell said reflected "badly" upon the board and the city.
"It's just a reprimand," she said of the letter. "It's like a family. When a parent says 'You're misbehaving. This makes our family look bad. Don't do this again.' This is what we're trying to say, that your actions, or your alleged actions, are reflecting badly on the city and the city board in particular."
The letter outlines three instances, stating: He used his position as a city director to open a city building and host a meeting without the city manager's knowledge, had an altercation with a resident at RailFest, and he put himself in a position for a harassment complaint.
"None of the behaviors discussed at the board meeting and listed above exhibit the values we believe our community reflects and our citizens expect," the letter says.
"Certainly, as board members, we expect an underlying sense of respect and trust from our citizens and each other; however, our citizens deserve the same in return. That has not been the case with your behavior over the last several months."
Penney-Bell said the board has yet to receive a response from Harris, who walked out of last week's executive session where board members decided to write the letter of censure. They also decided to remove Harris from the Advertising and Promotion board and replace him with City Director Linda Teeters.
"We gave this person ample opportunity to refute, to explain or deny any of these actions during our executive session," the mayor said, adding the board waited 12 minutes for Harris to return to the session, with City Director Tim Johnson leaving the meeting twice to bring him back.
"This is not seeking to remove anyone from office," Penney-Bell said. "This is not seeking anything to silence a director. This is expressing our views, the views of this board, that these alleged actions and behavior are not what this board wishes to reflect because we felt this was a bad reflection on this board and on the city itself."
Harris offered no comment Tuesday, except a text message stating, "Love your enemies, do good to them, pray for them that curse you and deceitfully use you and persecute you."
The details of the allegations include Harris leading a walk-through of the Boys and Girls Club building in April that city officials say was unauthorized. Harris told The Gazette the next day that he had requested access to the building from City Manger Kenny Haskin, who referred him to Tracie Lee, assistant director of the Public Works Department. Harris said she then had a city employee meet him and opened the building the morning of the walk-through.
For the RailFest incident, Harris was accused of harassing a group during the downtown event held three weeks ago. While accounts of the incident vary, Harris and a witness agree that as the city director took photos, at least one person approached him, believing his activity to be of a suspicious nature. Harris has said the incident was captured on video, but no video has ever surfaced.
Harris also was accused of harassing an Arkansas woman, who, in a May 4 complaint, told police Harris became upset after she ended their intimate relationship. The complaint was originally made to two city officials, who then contacted police. The woman told police Harris wanted her to return a mower he had given her, which she said had been stolen. She said he threatened to "call the police on her" if the mower was not returned, and that he had been "sitting in the street watching her house" and using profanity to refer to her in public and in the presence of her grandson.
The Police Department has since banned Harris from the property.
State Desk on 06/16/2017