The Greensboro City Council gives a lot of lip service to being transparent.
But, as the recent events involving City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba prove, it’s all talk.
Fortunately, for the residents of Greensboro who are interested in what is going on in their city government, the City Council doesn’t have the last word.
North Carolina Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour has ordered that the body-worn camera (BWC) videos from the police officers who responded to a domestic disturbance call at the home of Jaiyeoba on Dec. 28 be released to the public.
The News & Record had requested that the BWC videos be released to the public after the City of Greensboro had requested that the BWC videos be released for only Mayor Nancy Vaughan and the eight members of the City Council to view. The BWC videos were released and members of the Greensboro City Council viewed them and determined that there was nothing to see and that residents and taxpayers of Greensboro had no need to view the BWC videos.
In fact, the City Council was so adamant that the people of Greensboro should not be able to see the videos that attorneys from the city attorney’s office went to court and argued against the release of the BWC videos to the public.
It’s worth noting that the city attorney’s office is the only department in the City of Greensboro that does not report to City Manager Jaiyeoba. City Attorney Chuck Watts works directly for the City Council, just like Jaiyeoba. So it was the City Council fighting against transparency and the public’s right to know in this case.
The News & Record was represented in court by Mike Tadych of Stevens Martin Vaughan & Tadych, a firm that specializes in media and First Amendment law.
Also advocating for full release of the BWC videos was Amiel Rossabi, who represented the five Greensboro police officers who appear in the footage. Rossabi also represents the Greensboro Police Officers Association, which has a policy of advocating for full release of police BWC videos when a request is made.
Rossabi said, “We want it all released unedited to the public.”
Baddour has ordered the release of the BWC videos from Dec. 28, when police responded to 911 calls from Jaiyeoba’s home at 10 Postbridge Court, but not the release of the BWC videos of when two of Jaiyeoba’s daughters returned to the house to pick up their belongings.
On Jan. 23, the Rhino Times broke the story on the domestic disturbance at Jaiyeoba’s house, which occurred on Dec. 28, 2023, and the public information about what happened that night has been slowly released by the City of Greensboro.
The police report from the Dec. 28 event was withheld from the public for nearly a month, and the first public records request made by the Rhino Times was not fulfilled for over a week.
With the release of the BWC footage, the public will finally be able to see for themselves what happened on Dec. 28, 2023 at the home of the city manager.
It’s about time the video was released. Thanks for all the hard work in getting this accomplished.
Ditto!+++++
Good job! It’s been fun knowing full well that city council was lying and playing cover up. Remember to vote wisely. How many more lies have you been told by this bunch?
Is this the best that Greensboro NC can do? Is Greensboro not a city that matters? What about the people who live here, don’t we deserve better? Why don’t we have a city manager that brings the best for our citizens? This situation if a disgrace to North Carolina and OUR citizens in Greensboro. Lets make a change that will bring harmony and peace for us to be proud of OUR CITY. WHY can’t be do the right thing and the best for Greensboro. WE CAN LETS DO IT, NOW.
Transparency-honesty-integrity are wording the Mayor and City Council no nothing about. Ignorance-racism-anti-police-anti transparent is what our Mayor and City Council know. They give away money to groups with no transparency-accountability to the citizen of Greensboro. Tax dollars should be used to serve ALL citizens of Greensboro, not just one side of our city. The city where corruption, racism, lack of transparency is out of control.
I hope that if laws were broken the people responsible are thrown in jail and fined!!
Thank you for letting us know about this, something is going on here that the city council is trying to hide. I would like to see this video, and please let me know the Police Chief’s phone number so I can call him in case I ever have a domestic dispute that I would like to keep out of the public eye.
And the Democrat City Council tried their best to PREVENT transparency.
That’s what the Left always does when its sacred cow – government – is embarrassed, because the Left represents the interests of the state, and the Right represents the interests of the people.
Dear Editor,
The Rhino Times and the Greensboro News and Record are both missing the mark on the release of the BWC video of the domestic violence incident at Greensboro City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba’s home on Dec. 28, 2023. What are you going to learn from an after the fact video? Yes, there were injuries and that has been confirmed.
The malfeasants here are the Greensboro Police Chief’s and the Greensboro Police Department’s failure to follow the strict protocol of enforcing the law regarding a domestic violence incident. That protocol is to identify and arrest anyone that appears to have assaulted one and/or has been assaulted at the site of the incident. If Law Enforcement is not able to identify the assailants, then all parties are to be arrested! No if’s, and’s, or but’s! That is unless you are Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson that has repeatedly failed to honor his Oath of Office which is to enforce all the laws of our City, State, and Nation. Also 99.9% of the residents would have been arrested following this incident, but not the Police Chief’s boss Greensboro City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba!
Why is law enforcement protocol so important in a domestic violence offense. Upon visiting the crime scene (yes domestic violence is a crime), they may think the disputes have been deescalated. It would be foolish not to arrest and separate all those involved. A cooling off period is important to prevent another 911 Law Enforcement call back to the scene, or even more serious injuries or deaths inflicted for your failure to initially address the crime!
The answer is simple! Greensboro has become a dysfunctional city and an embarrassment to the whole State of NC. Greensboro’s current leaders are responsible for this, and it is time to vote our Mayor and the entire City Council out of office! It’s my opinion they all are worthless day, after day, after day!
Jim Donaldson
Surprise! Surprise! Guilford County District Attorney Avery Crump will not prosecute the domestic violence crime at Greensboro City Manager’s Taiwo Jaiyeoba’s home on Dec. 28th, 2023. Is this not the same Guilford County District Attorney that chose not to prosecute the violent crime of two off-duty Greensboro Police Officer’s attempt to rob a known drug deal at 5:30 am in the Golden Gate Drive area on February 10, 2023?
Just another questionable Greensboro and Guilford County Public official that needs to be voted out of office!
Jim Donaldson
Thank you Rhino Times for pursuing the truth, whatever it may be. I hope people remember this at election time.
Get rid of tis BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can do better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No one cares about this as much as you. You just need something to write about.
Well, ‘eyeroll’, you are as wrong as possible about this issue. Just look at the positive response from Rhino Times readers. Many more residents would be as well if they got their news here. Instead the local TV stations are more concerned about doing puff pieces and ‘health’ tips for their segmented viewers.
Is that why it’s front page news on the liberal News & Record?
The judge made the right decision. Jaiyeoba is a public figure employed by the city and should be held to a high standard. He must answer to the citizens of Greensboro as their employee. If he is suspected of wrong doing then the citizens have a right to the facts at hand. They SHOULD be able to review these videos in order to establish for themselves if in fact any laws were violated. The City Council has tried to obstruct this procedure.
So!
So what?
Ooo Ooo Ooo…can I be the little boy who points out the Emperors/Empresses have no clothes?
The CMO was acting in his official capacity to protect the citizens of Greensboro from unruly young women. As such, he has absolute immunity from any prosecution. Oh wait……
It’s sad that no one gives a hoot about the victims in this domestic disturbance. Do you think they want this incident plastered all over the media and have to re-live the incident over and over. Just because he’s a government official does not give “citizens” the right to be in family related issues. Yes he’s held at a higher standard because of his title and should be handled accordingly. But releasing that video isn’t the way. Instead these “concerned citizens” should focus their energy on the GPD and the way they handled the incident. Stop saying, “As citizens of Greensboro we have the right to know what happened!” You already know what happened, a domestic disturbance! You don’t need to view a video to know that. That’s just nosey! If you don’t like the man just don’t vote for him. Don’t use a video from a personal matter involving victims.
What about the victims, you are as dense about the issue here as you are about city government. I’m sure no on here or in Greensboro voted for the manager. He never ran for office the liberal woke council hired him. Read up on local government you will learn something.
What the heck are you people talking about, they don’t work for you! Oh, wait…
I’m thinking about a domestic violence incident can I get the Chiefs number before it occurs. I want that stay out of jail card. That number should be available to ALL tax paying citizens. Publish the number please.