Text Thread on Joe Jones Investigation Reveals a Fractured Cleveland City Council Concerned With Retaliation, Allegiances

Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones at a City Council meeting in early 2024. Jones has been accused of at least five separate incidents of harassment in the workplace, going back to June of 2022. Credit: Mark Oprea

Scene: It’s Friday, January 31st, about 8:42 p.m. End of a polar vortex that has swept the city. Start of a new federal administration bound to make life more difficult for Cleveland’s political sphere.
The 17 members of Cleveland City Council have just learned more about a scandal involving one of their colleagues, Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones, from media reports on investigation into multiple allegiations of inappropriate conduct. An article touched on a trove of accusations laid upon Jones that started with a meeting Jones had in May with Destination Cleveland and included accusations that he berated employees, touched a woman’s breast, and more.

Jones had, a letter from Destination Cleveland to Council President Blaine Griffin said, made a muralist uncomfortable. She was hired to design a mural in Jones’ ward; Jones allegedly commented on the muralist’s looks, asked for her number and inquired whether or not she was free to meet that weekend.

A law firm was hired. Jones would soon apologize after retiring from all Council committees. The result was a further fractured Council in the wake of already heightened tensions surrounding the redrawing of wards — those who stepped up to rally behind Jones in his good name, or those that preferred to see a full report on the Destination Cleveland incident, and four other accusations, before any sure judgments were made.

Regardless, Council took to their to debate the matter at hand. The following is reproduced from a group text of councilmembers, first reported by Ideastream, acquired via a public records request.

ANTHONY HAIRSTON

Destination Cleveland will NEVER get support from me again.

RICHARD STARR

💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

ANTHONY HAIRSTON

Everyone in Cleveland and beyond has Joe’s number. He gives it out at at every committee mtg, event, billboard, etc. I better be careful and not [ask] someone if they’re busy or not to meet outside of the work week… 🤡

STARR

Councilman Joe, I’m with you. This is garbage how they are trying to come for you when the overall system is messed up!

I’m starting to speak up about how folks garb [sic] on my arms and rub my back as if it’s cool when it’s not welcoming.

It’s Joe today, and it can be any of us tomorrow, and that’s the truth!

HAIRSTON

Mike Polensek, no more ‘Hello Dear’ or ‘Thanks honey’. SMH.

REBECCA MAURER

These comments are embarrassing and unbecoming for anybody, let alone elected leaders. I won’t be silent in this thread while they are sent to the entire council and I hope that the leadership team and others are not silent either.

The comments in this thread are exactly why it’s so hard for people to come forward.

HAIRSTON

No one said anything against anyone who decided to ‘come forward.’ My issue is the bias reporting and the assassination attempt on his character.

STARR

This article is one-side, and that’s simply unfair. The Joe Jones I know would never allow me to remain silent, regardless of the circumstances. My comments reflect my genuine feelings; I stand firmly with Joe Jones because I know his true heart and character.

What’s more concerning is how quickly you, Rebecca, rush to the media with every situation. I will continue to support my colleague, regardless of your actions.

HAIRSTON

You’re a smart young lady, so you should know what intentions mean—right? It all comes down to that!

STEPHANIE HOWSE-JONES

I will offer this to all of you. To refrain from texting and have whatever conversation you believe is needed in person. You all be blessed.

HAIRSTON

[Agrees.] I’ll be at caucus.

And I’ll tell the media exactly what I’m saying on this thread. There is no need to sneak diss.

MICHAEL POLENSEK

My dear Honorable colleagues.

I would urge all to step back rom the cliff of no return. I don’t know what transpired between a member of this body and whoever. So before we start taking sides and vilifying [sic] whoever or each other, we need to use our collective heads.

I wasn’t elected 12 times for being stupid and unreasonable. The last thing this body needs is for members to be taking sides not knowing all the facts. That will accomplish nothing except more division.

The institution of Cleveland City Council is bigger than any one of us. Please remember that and disengage from pointing fingers or insults at each other.

HAIRSTON

[Agreeing with Polensek.] Being pro Joe Jones does not mean I’m anti anyone else who may be involved!!

This situation is no different than folks emailing and calling, claiming one of our colleagues was corrupt because they wanted to support a zoning change in the Ward THEY represent. I stood up for that person, and I will also stand up for this colleague.

It’s a shame that some of us politic [sic] each other, sneak diss each other, call the media on each other, and then some.

JOE JONES
…………………

HAIRSTON
I’m going to stop texting after this. God bless and goodnight!

END.

What transpired afterward was as bizarre as some of the texts presented here, with both Hairston and Starr telling Ideastream that they “go to the bathroom standing up.”

Unfortunately, followups from that reporter didn’t reveal whether Hairston and Starr go both No. 1 and No. 2 while standing up, nor does it address the uncomfortable response to sexual harassment allegations with a response that forces the reader to imagine someone’s genitals.

Council has always been a discordant, divergent and contentious unit, but what has transpired in recent months matches some of the lows displayed during previous years.

To start, that councilmembers who privately threatened funding to Destination Cleveland over the allegation would then backtrack and attempt to claim that they meant nothing of the sort is silly. The body, at the leadership of Blaine Griffin, has long operated under the belief that you’re with them or against them. And this is all in writing!

Second, Rebecca Maurer has again become the focus of anger from her colleagues for reasons that shouldn’t draw any response at all. Hairson and Starr both told reporters that they suspected Maurer of leaking details of the group text to reporters and Starr told Cleveland.com he thought Maurer was “a rat,” a particularly problematic comparison given that Maurer is Jewish.

Third, what are we even doing here?