Mayor Nancy Vaughan issued the following statement in support of City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba on Friday, Feb. 9:

“The incident that occurred December 28, 2023, at City Manager Jaiyeoba’s home continues to generate public interest.

“There is no active law enforcement investigation. Additionally, I have not received any information to cause me to call into question Mr. Jaiyeoba’s character or fitness to serve as City Manager.

“While the City Council is a public body, and therefore strives to be transparent, that same transparency under State statute has limits. I consider this to be a family matter and Mr. Jaiyeoba is entitled to privacy, just as any family experiencing similar circumstances.

“It is my position that there is no need to rush to judgement. As a governing body, we support the excellent work City Manager Jaiyeoba continues to do for our community.”

Vaughan’s statement ignores the main issue and the reason why – over a month after the domestic violence incident involving Jaiyeoba and at least two of his daughters on Dec. 28, 2023 – that event “continues to generate public interest.”

The reason that this incident continues to generate such public interest is the coverup that kept the public from knowing anything about this incident for nearly a month.

This event at Jaiyeoba’s house was not handled like the hundreds of other calls the Greensboro Police Department answers for domestic disturbances.  Despite the fact that unofficial reports indicate that this domestic disturbance involved a serious injury requiring medical treatment, there were no arrests. The police report lists three victims and the “Crime incident(s)” as “Assault – Simple Physical” but lists no charges.

That information is from a handwritten police report that was not put in the computer system available to the public.  Even when public records requests for specific public records about the event were made, the city refused to release those records in a timely manner.

Despite several requests, no police report has been released for Dec. 29 when Jaiyeoba’s daughters met Greensboro police officers to return to 10 Postbridge Court to retrieve their belongings.  The 911 call setting up a time and place to meet with the police officers was released.

It has been widely reported that Jaiyeoba’s shoulder was dislocated during the incident, but it isn’t on the police report or in the other public documents that have so far been released.

The big question is still the coverup. Who ordered that the public records on this event not be made available to the public and what compelling public interest did they cite in making that decision?

The way to make this issue go away is to provide all the information to the public that should have been provided over a month ago.