T-L File Photo Cadiz Mayor Kevin Jones sits at his desk in February, shortly after taking office at the beginning of the year.

CADIZ — Cadiz Village Council is seeking to remove Mayor R. Kevin Jones from office.

Councilman Salvatore DeLuca filed an official complaint Sept. 23 stating that Jones used a racial slur toward a member of the Black community in the village.

The complaint alleges the slur was uttered on Aug. 24 at the Donny Iris concert at Sally Buffalo Park. The incident allegedly occurred when police Officer Lionel Woods and Patrolman Brandon Groves were catching up and joking around together at the concert.

“During that conversation Mayor Kevin Jones walked over and began discussing a K-9 donation from a local company. During that conversation I brought up a previous incident where James Christian stated he would bring Drake to town,” according to Woods’ sworn affidavit and statement to the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Department.

Woods further stated that Jones used a racial slur against African Americans to describe the individual who had visited his office. According to Woods, after Jones used the slur, he turned around and saw Groves, who is Black, standing behind him. Once Jones saw Groves, he apologized immediately, according to Woods.

Groves corroborated Woods’ account of the events that transpired in his statement to the Cadiz Police Department.

“Mayor Jones turned around, saw me, shook my hand, and apologized,” Groves wrote.

Jones did not respond to multiple calls Tuesday seeking comment, but in his statement to Cadiz police he wrote that he said pig, not the slur.

“I said who let that pig into my office,” Jones states.

Although DeLuca filed the complaint, council members John Vermillion, Eric Miller, Derek Sefsick, Billy Hyde and Albert Peters also signed it.

Council believes that Jones violated the public’s trust in village officials, the complaint states, because Jones holds a position of public trust that requires adherence to standards of fairness. Council believes that when Jones allegedly used the racial slur he displayed a severe lapse in judgment that violates the ethics and responsibilities of a mayor. Council also believes that Jones created a hostile work environment within the village administration that undermines public employees’ morale and effectiveness, fostering an atmosphere of discrimination and intolerance.

“Such behavior is inconsistent with the standards of conduct required by public officials under both state and federal law,” DeLuca states in his complaint.

Council also believes that Jones has damaged the public’s confidence in the leadership of Cadiz. Members believe Jones’ alleged actions negatively impacted the relationship between the mayor’s office and the village community at large, adding that he has especially negatively impacted the trust and relationship between village officials and the minority community within the village of Cadiz.

“Given these actions, we believe Mayor R. Kevin Jones has engaged in misconduct and malfeasance in office, warranting removal pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 733.72, which allows for the removal of municipal officers guilty of misconduct or malfeasance,” DeLuca states in the complaint filed with Judge Matthew Puskarich.

Once Puskarich received the complaint, he issued a statement recusing himself due to him knowing not only Jones but also living and working in the village of Cadiz.

“I personally know many of the applicants as well as Mayor Jones. I also live and work in the village of Cadiz, which creates an additional appearance of impropriety,” Puskarich said.

Once he voluntarily recused himself he proceeded to request that the Ohio Supreme Court appoint a judge to hear the matter in its entirety.

On Sept. 24, the Ohio Supreme Court assigned Judge John Campbell to hear the case. Campbell is a retired judge of the Carroll County Court of Common Pleas.

On Sept. 25, a hearing notice was filed by the Harrison County Probate Court setting a status hearing on the complaint for 9:30 a.m. Thursday.