In what appears to be a first for the City of Greensboro, one mayoral candidate has filed a lawsuit against another mayoral candidate.
Greensboro has had some fairly heated mayoral races with accusations going back and forth, but they have not risen to the level of lawsuits.
On Friday, April 8, mayoral candidate Eric Robert filed a lawsuit in North Carolina Superior Court against the City of Greensboro, Mayor Nancy Vaughan and City Manager Tai Jaiyeobo in their official capacities.
Vaughan has filed to run for reelection and is facing Robert, City Councilmember Justin Outling and Mark Cummings in the May 17 primary.
The lawsuit filed by Robert, who is representing himself, alleges that the City of Greensboro has not provided public records requested by Robert in a timely manner and asks the court to compel the City of Greensboro to provide those public documents.
The North Carolina Public Records Law states that copies of public records should be provided “as promptly as possible.”
According to the lawsuit, Robert has requested a number of documents about gun shows at the Greensboro Coliseum and, more specifically, why the gun shows were no longer being held at the Greensboro Coliseum.
However, Robert has obviously been provided with a key document about gun shows at the Greensboro Coliseum because Robert quotes portions of the memo in his lawsuit and includes the full memo in his press release about the lawsuit.
That document is a memo from City Attorney Chuck Watts to the City Council dated Jan. 21, 2020. In that memo, Watts notes that the city does have the authority to regulate gun shows at the Greensboro Coliseum based on North Carolina General Statute 14-409.40, which prohibits municipalities from regulating gun shows because, “Subsection (f) of the statute carves out an exception for the regulation of possession of firearms in public-owned buildings.”
Watts states that the city has an existing ordinance that prohibits the possession of firearms on city owned property and while the city could waive this ordinance in order to allow gun shows at the Greensboro Coliseum, it is not required to do so.
Robert states in his lawsuit that he has requested documents concerning gun shows at the Greensboro Coliseum that the city has in its possession but will not provide him.
According to the lawsuit, the city has stated that some of these documents don’t exist and others cannot be found.
It is a common problem in requesting public documents that it is difficult for the requestor to describe in detail a document they don’t have but have reason to believe does exist. It is one reason that requests for public records are often extremely broad with the requestor hoping that the broad net will capture the one or two documents that are the reason for the request.
The 2nd Amendment doesn’t mention “displaying and marketing arms” as a protected activity, leaving those to the discretion of our elected officials. Mr Robert’s pyrrhic quest ensures that he won’t benefit from my support in his quest to become one.
Another stellar job John… But, please let me help you.
As you well know, and as you have reported multiple times, the city has a terrible past when it comes to public records.
The two memos I was provided from 2 different city attorneys clearly show the city’s creative attempts at circumventing state and federal laws when it comes to regulating firearms.(perhaps the only time the city demonstrated any creative ability)
The two memos clearly stated that the city has no authority to regulate the sale of firearms, but the one loophole resided with Matt Brown’s employment contract as he, and he alone, could decide what could take place at the coliseum. In short It was up to Matt Brown!
As the article on WGHP FOX 8 states:” In 2018, Vaughan had suggested the city no longer allow guns to be sold on city property as a response to the mass shooting at Parkland High School in Florida…..Through a series of maneuvers, the city took control of the gun show and has not staged it since.”
https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/greensboro/greensboro-mayoral-candidate-sues-mayor-city-officials-for-gun-show-public-records/
I have received numerous documents with Matt brown’s name to council member s’ private email addresses but each time, all I got was the header…no text, no copy , no email, just the headers.
The one Matt Brown email I received was actually Matt Brown disagreeing with the city attorneys regarding his sole discretion.
I have asked for Matt Brown’s emails and Rodney Sorrell’ emails (the gun show’s lease holder). I have been waiting for months now. The council attempt to circumvent the US constitution and its amendments should alarm you, regardless of where you stand on the second amendment (I happen to be a big supporter of it).
We already know where Nancy stands on the first amendment and all the repeated attempts to suppress speakers from the floor (which you also documented very well).
There is no limitation of access to firearms in Guilford county. We have several very good quality gun shops. The fact we don’t have a gun show is personal choice of the Coliseum management. Big Deal. There are numerous gun shows in near by cities.
What are you so upset about?
Chris, I actually don’t go to gun shows as i prefer patronizing the great shops we have here in town.
I am not really upset but here are a few reasons why I am concerned :
1-Public records should be made available as they are PUBLIC records and , by law should be released to the public when requested. this is how we hold them accountable.
2-City council has a horrible track record as far as the first amendment is concerned by trying to silence the citizens. We used to have 2 sessions where citizens could speak from the floor, then 1, then none during the pandemic.
3 – If council is already , behind the scenes, messing with the 1st and 2nd amendments, where does it stop?
I think the larger point is the continual refusal of the city and council to provide public records in a timely manner.
Not upset numbnuts but the coliseum was built with taxpayer dollars so why does one person or the council get to dictate what events are held there. Should that not be up to the people who paid for it. This is not Russia where one person tells us what’s good for us.
Want to put concert schedule to a public vote? What a joke.
Where did I say public vote chris. I’m thinking you are either black bi racial or you’re living with a baby mama.
i have no problem with ‘one person’ ‘dictating events’ on my behalf @ the coliseum, as long as the taxpayers dollars got what they ‘built’. its called MANAGEMENT. we hired a well paid pro to manage the place for us. i’m happy. they have high quality public swimming there, etc.
Why do I have to sign in on a subscription page every time I try to read?
Bretzmann@northstate.net
The subscription pop-up is annoying, I get them also. However, if you click on the X in the upper righthand corner it goes away.
Karma nancy Karma nothing is worse than someone scorned
It has been rumored the Greensboro Gun Show has become extinct. Evidently the City’s brilliant leadership wants to forgo the approximately 6 figures in revenue that event has brought to our fair city for decades. Shameless. Glad they are getting sued! If they are playing hide and seek, they deserve to get whacked.
Just another reason not to go to Greensboro to do anything
With crime going higher in Greensboro and Winston Salem,anyone going to these is risking the life. For some feathers city of Greensboro seems to think the Law abiding citizens are the problems in Greensboro. Well that’s one of the reason I moved my family out of the city years ago. If Greensboro would look at those committing the crimes in Greensboro them the citizens might come back but with city moving against law abiding folks, I see no reason to ever come back . So I will spend my time and Money elsewhere.