New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell continues to defend her communications director amid an attempt by city council members to remove him from office. This comes after members of the council found that Gregory Joseph lied under oath during a hearing about city-funded mailers sent to voters during the recall effort against the mayor.
Now, Cantrell is firing shots of her own at members of the council who are leading that effort.
"This has been the course, particularly of Moreno and Morrell, and it has been particularly disappointing," Cantrell said of at-large council members J. P. Morrell and Helena Moreno. "I'm supporting an employee that is now part of a community of city employees that have been disrespected, villainized, discriminated against by prejudices, conscious bias, unconcious bias, sexism--the list goes on and on."
On Tuesday, the council voted to give Cantrell an ultimatum: fire Joseph, or the council will use an obscure provision in the city charter to remove him from office. Today, Cantrell doubled down on her support for Joseph.
"Gregory Joseph being labeled incompetent? Ha! Unbelieveable!" Cantrell said. "No. I'm not firing anybody."
Cantrell accused Morrell and Moreno of creating a hostile environment for city workers.
"Even when I hear from my employees, those that have been part of the city fabric for decades, have never seen an environment like the one we're living through and that they're working through right now," Cantrell said.
If Cantrell doesn't fire Joseph by the Friday deadline, the council will convene a hearing next month to dismiss him.
