McKinney City Manager Paul Grimes told city employees he was “disgusted” by some people who attended Tuesday night’s contentious mosque site plan meeting and referred to “sometimes mob-like behavior,” while praising city staff for their professionalism and handling of the packed gathering, according to an internal email obtained by The Dallas Express.
City officials had previously emphasized that the council’s discretion was legally constrained once the site plan was found compliant. Grimes’ internal message addressed that process but also included his personal reaction.
The August 5 message was sent at 4:19 p.m. by Amy Jeter on Grimes’ behalf to “City Wide Employees.” The Dallas Express reviewed images showing the message open in the city employee’s email client. DX granted the employee anonymity because disclosure could expose the source to workplace repercussions for sharing an internal communication.
Grimes says democratic process can get ‘ugly’
“Our city became an unwitting host to a form of social angst that our country has wrestled with literally since the beginning of our Republic. Candidly, it isn’t always pretty; sometimes it is downright vile. Democracy can be like that, and this meeting was a reminder that our democratic process can get ugly at times,” Grimes wrote in the internal correspondence.“Personally, I was disgusted with those who tried to use their own faith to attack or belittle another. While free speech is a fundamental tenet of our First Amendment, so is the freedom to worship one’s faith,” Grimes added…