The City of Wichita Ethics Board ruled to uphold its original decision regarding Mayor Lily Wu and a violation a section of the city’s code of ethics. On March 18th, 2025, Mayor Wu refused to sign or read aloud a declaration of Transgender Day of Visibility. Twenty-two complaints were filed by residents who claimed Wu's actions undermined public trust and disrespected the transgender community.
The ruling follows complaints from 22 residents who said Wu’s actions, or lack thereof, during a March 18 City Council meeting, undermined public trust and disrespected the transgender community. The proclamation in question was missing the mayor’s signature and wasn’t read aloud at the meeting, breaking from typical protocol assigning those duties to the Mayor.
The Mayor argued she had the right not to vote or sign the document and said any changes made to it, such as removing her name, were internal staff errors. After reviewing an appeal from Wu the Ethics Board reaffirmed its original decision and formally closed the matter.