Activists gathered outside Inglewood City Hall on Thursday calling for Mayor James T. Butts Jr. to resign after an allegation of inappropriate touching involving a high school student at the Sept. 15 “VoChella” youth voter-engagement event. The allegation remains unproven and has not been independently verified. FOX 11 Los Angeles reported on the resignation demands, while EURweb described a written account submitted by Akia Jackson, who said Butts put his arm around a high school dancer during a photograph.
The reported contact has not been established as unlawful. Activists also alleged that Butts and City Clerk Aisha Thompson visited the student’s family home after the event, but the purpose of that alleged visit remains unconfirmed. The reports reviewed for this article do not establish that the family invited the officials, that the visit occurred as described, or that a police report was filed.
Political pressure and formal removal are different processes
The resignation campaign is unfolding during a competitive local election. Yolanda Davidson, one of the organizers identified in coverage of the press conference, is also a candidate for Inglewood City Council District 1, according to LA Local. The outlet reported that other figures involved in the event were also candidates, giving the demands an electoral dimension. Butts, who became mayor in 2011, is seeking a fifth term.
A public call to resign does not itself remove a mayor. The California Secretary of State classifies an elected city official as a local officer subject to the state’s recall procedures. Those procedures require formal steps before a recall can reach voters, and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk directs people seeking to recall a city officeholder to contact the relevant city clerk. The guides describe recall procedures but do not report whether a recall effort has been filed in connection with the current allegations.
The allegation comes amid earlier disputes involving Butts
The current controversy is not the first public dispute involving allegations about Butts’ conduct. In August 2024, attorneys for former Inglewood Assistant City Manager Melanie McDade-Dickens issued a settlement demand against Butts and the city in connection with a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation after a consensual relationship ended, according to the Daily Breeze. The city denied the claims and said McDade-Dickens was terminated for violating city policy. That civil dispute is separate from the unverified youth-event allegation.
Questions about institutional oversight also arose in Santa Monica. The Los Angeles Times reported that Santa Monica paid more than $229 million to settle child-abuse claims involving a civilian police volunteer. The settlements do not establish wrongdoing in the VoChella matter.
What reporting options exist
The Inglewood Police Department says incidents that do not fit its online reporting categories should be reported by calling 9-1-1 in an emergency or 310-412-8771 for a non-emergency, according to its reporting page. That information describes a reporting route; it does not show that anyone has filed a report in this case or create a separate complaint process for an elected official.
The article also discusses general reporting options for suspected child abuse. That information does not determine whether the contact described at VoChella occurred or whether it violated any law or policy.
The central questions remain unresolved
The available reporting identifies a witness account and activist demands, but does not independently verify the alleged contact, establish the purpose or circumstances of the alleged home visit, or document criminal charges against Butts. City officials had not publicly responded to the specific allegations in the reports reviewed for this article. Any formal police inquiry, city investigation, recall filing, or response from the student’s family could clarify what happened next.
