Inglewood Mayor Faces Scrutiny Over Groping Allegation Amid Pattern of Past Claims
Mayor James T. Butts, recently accused of inappropriately touching a teen, has a history of allegations that have previously been dismissed.
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts is facing renewed scrutiny following an accusation of groping a teenage cheerleader while posing for a photograph at a city hall event. The incident has prompted calls for his resignation from residents and activists, though Butts' office has denied any misconduct.
This latest allegation adds to a pattern of disturbing claims that have been leveled against the longtime mayor throughout his career. In 1993, Butts faced a criminal referral alleging he molested his young daughter. According to reports from the time, his then-estranged wife claimed their daughter stated Butts had "touched and penetrated her vagina with his finger." The wife also alleged that Butts had "choked her to unconsciousness" in 1991. Butts denied these allegations, and the local district attorney declined to press charges due to insufficient evidence.
After a career in law enforcement and a stint as head of security for the LAX airport authority, Butts was elected mayor of Inglewood in 2011. He campaigned on a platform of solving the city's financial issues and improving efficiency. One of his early actions in office involved awarding a $100 million waste management contract to a company that had recently hired his brother. Later reports indicated that Butts personally profited from this deal.
Butts also engaged in a relationship with a city employee, Melanie McDade-Dickens, whom he hired as his executive assistant after meeting her during his mayoral campaign in 2010. A 2021 wrongful termination lawsuit filed by McDade-Dickens alleged that Butts solicited her for workplace sex and demanded she perform personal services, such as doing his laundry and massaging his feet. The lawsuit claimed Butts significantly increased McDade-Dickens' salary from 2013 to 2019. McDade-Dickens was fired at the end of 2019, and her legal team cited her consistently positive evaluations as evidence for her wrongful termination claim.
As their relationship deteriorated, Butts allegedly took away her responsibilities and began reducing her pay. McDade-Dickens stated at a 2021 press conference that she had diligently performed her duties. Text messages that surfaced in 2022, purportedly from Butts, accused McDade-Dickens of infidelity and expressed distress over her potential move to Scottsdale. The lawsuit further alleged that Butts began stalking McDade-Dickens in 2018 when she attempted to end their relationship, describing instances where he would enter her home uninvited and watch her sleep. The lawsuit was dismissed in November of the previous year after McDade-Dickens failed to formally oppose a motion for summary judgment. An attorney representing the city characterized the lawsuit as "frivolous from the start."
In another instance, former Inglewood treasurer Wanda Brown alleged that Butts retaliated against her in 2020 for raising concerns about the city's financial health, including declining cash balances, deficit spending, and the use of outside consultants. Brown reported that Butts began cutting off her microphone during public speaking opportunities and removing her reports from the agenda. Subsequently, the City Council reduced her monthly salary significantly. The California Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the city, determining that Brown, as an elected official, could not invoke protections against retaliation typically afforded to state employees.
Butts has historically responded to controversies with a statement to USA TODAY Sports: "The only thing that’s controversial about me is that I get (expletive) done." The California Post has reached out to Butts' campaign for comment on the recent allegations.