The Chicago city council will meet Tuesday to consider censuring Mayor Brandon Johnson’s former council floor leader over a case of alleged bullying last week.
Last Thursday Alderman Ray Lopez said he had to stand between Carlos Ramariz-Rosa, the former floor leader, and Alderwoman Emma Mitts so Mitts could enter the chamber to vote on an advisory referendum that would ask Chicago voters to decide if the city should remain a sanctuary city.
The former floor leader was trying to prevent the chamber from having enough elected leaders to legally conduct a meeting.
“It’s completely unacceptable to grab, restrain and block one of our colleagues and physically restrain and block to do her dully elected job,” Lopez said.
On Monday, Ramariz-Rosa resigned his two leadership positions and issued an apology saying, “I feel awful about everything that happened. I have reached out to my colleagues to apologize directly and seek to make amends. I made mistakes, and I learned valuable lessons. I take full responsibility for what I’ve done.”
Progressive leaders in the community and city council support with Ramariz-Rosa and say Lopez’s lied about the details surrounding what happened Thursday.
The Black Caucus issued a statement through a spokesperson that said the caucus stands firm in their condemnation of the alderman but were satisfied with his remorse and decision to resign from his leadership positions.
The mayor also agrees with Ramariz-Rosa’s decision to resign his leadership posts as floor leader and a committee chair.
Mitts has not yet commented on the incident.
