Citing a “hostile work environment,” among other things, Indianola City Clerk Kaneilia Williams has resigned, effective today.
Williams named Mayor Ken Featherstone and Ward 4 Alderman Marvin Elder in her letter of resignation as those primarily responsible for her departure.
“I am resigning as the City Clerk due to the undue pressure of working in a hostile work environment created by Mayor Ken Featherstone and Alderman Marvin Elder,” Williams said in the letter obtained by The Enterprise-Tocsin. “In conjunction with the hostile work environment, there was also constant toxic, aggressive, and unprofessional communication that rendered me incapable of remaining in this position without fear of physical or mental harm.”
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City Attorney Kimberly Merchant told The E-T that she has instructed the mayor and Elder not to comment at this time, as she said, based on the tone of the letter, litigation could be in the city’s future.
“Any response that we make about these allegations will be made in the context of responding to any litigation that may ensue,” Merchant said.
She did add that the city denies the allegations in
Williams’ letter.
“On behalf of the city, we deny the allegations that were made in the letter,” Merchant said.
Williams went on to claim in the letter that she has had to seek medical attention due to the work environment at city hall.
“These incidents, the environment and communications, have caused me to seek medical attention with medical assessment addressing headaches, weight loss, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety, none of which I had prior to working for the present Mayor and Board,” she said in her resignation letter.
Williams said that she brought the issues to several board members in the past but “nothing was addressed,” she alleged.
“Also on 12/21/22, I was on the agenda to discuss my unfair, discriminatory and hostile treatment by the mayor and Alderman Elder,” the letter stated. “I was asked to leave the room by Alderman Brock and not given the opportunity to speak.”
Williams alleges, among other things, at least one “violent outburst from the Mayor in City Hall while talking to aldermen and the former mayor.”
Williams, who is a Mississippi Municipal League Mississippi Certified Municipal Clerk, was hired in April of 2021 to be Indianola’s full-time clerk after serving as Yazoo City’s clerk immediately prior.
Around this time last year, Williams had requested to work a hybrid schedule, due to her son’s illness and frequent medical appointments.
The board voted in favor of this, but Featherstone vetoed the measure, citing that it interfered with his authority over day-to-day operations.
The board overturned that veto the following week.
Williams alluded to this in the letter, citing “micromanagement and discrimination in reference to my son’s medical condition by both Mayor Featherstone and Alderman Elder.”
Williams also accused Elder of calling for her job during a recent NAACP meeting.
“At which, Elder stated he had replacements for both the City Clerk and Police Chief,” she claimed.
Williams told The E-T that she was not present at that meeting but heard about it from some who were there.
Williams said she had enough last week during a verbal altercation over the phone with the mayor.
“The last incident occurred on today when Mayor Featherstone called me and told me ‘to get my ass to work,’ she alleges. “I have witnesses to each and every example.”
When we spoke with Williams this past week, she said she does plan to seek legal action.
Featherstone did not offer a comment regarding Williams when we spoke with him this week, but he did say that a special call meeting was planned for today at 4 p.m. to hire a new city clerk.
Note: Attached to this article is Kaneilia Williams' letter of resignation in PDF format
