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Youth speakers accuse Flint City council members of bullying, social-media misuse and aggressive policing at meetings
Summary
Three young public commenters criticized Flint City council members for alleged bullying of residents and colleagues, accused some members of staging a monetized "victim" narrative on social media, and called the presence and tactics of police at council meetings excessive, according to the meeting transcript.
Three youth public commenters criticized Flint City council members for what they described as bullying, misleading social-media posts and an excessive police presence during public comment at a Flint City Council meeting, according to remarks recorded in the meeting transcript.
Kehlani Copney, 12, told the council she had "been reviewing with you again because some of you are not grasping the concepts you should have mastered back in kindergarten," and urged council members to listen when residents speak. Copney accused some council members of treating residents and colleagues with a "very mean and hateful attitude," and singled out "councilman Jared" and "councilwoman Burns" as examples mentioned in her remarks.
Makayla Terry, 13, said she has attended council meetings since early childhood and told the council she believes several members should "mature up," adding, "I've grown up and I've matured more than any of y'all up there. I'm sorry."
Mari Copeny criticized council members for using social media and a YouTube podcast to portray themselves as victims of political violence, saying those posts omitted context from meetings. "Not only did you not look up at my sister when she was talking, you both had the audacity to get on that YouTube podcast, which is monetized, by the way, and claim you are victims of political violence," Copeny said. She added that council members who she identified by first name had "sat up there laughing and carrying on like middle school mean girls" while residents were arrested, and said video captured them "laughing at those being arrested and taunting the same council people that left."
Copeny also questioned the size and conduct of police assigned to council meetings, saying there was "no reason to keep half a dozen officers in here during council meetings" and that some officers appeared "not trying to deescalate" and instead seemed "to be more aggressive" toward residents who oppose certain elected officials. Those characterizations were presented as the speakers' observations and opinions in the public-comment portion of the meeting.
The transcript does not record a direct response from council members or any formal action taken in response to the comments during the excerpted portion of the meeting.
