Ecorse mayor denies vulgar statements about councilwoman at meeting

ECORSE, Mich. (FOX 2) - When FOX 2 met with Ecorse councilwoman Gabrielle Worthy on Tuesday and asked how she felt about what was said during a recent council meeting, she let out a deep sigh and said "frustrating."

"Frustrating," she repeated. "Really frustrating actually."

A week ago, on December 26, during a break from a council meeting, Mayor Lamar Tidwell was recorded saying  "stupid a*** b***" near a microphone.

FOX 2 also heard from the Mayor Pro Tem LaTonya Lamb who said, via Messenger, that she was sitting next to the mayor, did not hear the derogatory term.

Since the meetings are recorded, they’re also posted online.

"It is in fact still up online," Worthy said. "I did call to see if we can now have it removed or edited to where that part is still not there."

Worthy said she believes the mayor made the comment in reference to her because she wasn’t in her seat at the time.

"He says that ‘dumb*** a*** b***’ and then the council member turns around and says ‘Oh I thought she was excused?’ Well if you see the meeting from the beginning in its entirety it states in the rundown all the council members who’s present, who’s not, and it says Gabrielle Worthy she is excused," she said. "I was the only ‘she’ that was excused for that meeting."

Worthy said she didn’t learn about what was said until she got an email later that day when she was at home.

She said even though she didn’t hear it, her teenage daughter, who attends the meetings with her mom, did.

"I think that it was disappointing," Hannah Worthy said. "It was sad the mayor of the city would call one of his own council members and citizens the b-word."

Worthy said the mayor has been awarded in the past for his service. However she said she wants people to know "this is who you’ve got."

FOX 2 reported back in November 2020 that the council wanted Mayor Tidwell  to step down due to an "investigation involving seized stolen vehicles."

On Tuesday afternoon, FOX 2 contacted the mayor’s office and several council members, requesting an interview or comment.

FOX 2 heard from Mayor Tidwell that evening. He declined an interview but said over the phone "I never said she was a profane name. I never said that."

Worthy said she hopes what happened, voters will remember.

"I really do wish they would edit that part out. Of course the citizens do need to see the meeting itself," she said. "You know what? Maybe they don’t edit it out. Maybe they keep it. So for always, we can always go back in time, click on that video and see what we got.

"So when it’s voting time we can click back on that video and see who we may be voting for."