Michael Alston, president of Lindsay Enterprises, told the council the company’s reputation has been damaged by a social media post that used City of Virginia department logos and a hashtag reading “Lindsay doesn't speak for me.”

Alston said his family has done municipal work for decades and expressed dismay that the city’s logo and department marks appeared paired with the hashtag. “It's quite disturbing to me,” he said, and he asked the council to issue an apology and find out who posted the image.

Mayor Cuffee and City Administrator Bridal Cibenis said the city is conducting a preliminary investigation to determine who posted and who designed the graphic, and they offered Alston a mayoral apology for any reputational harm. The mayor said staff have circulated a policy reminder to employees regarding use of department logos and that the matter will not be “swept under the rug.”

City officials did not identify a suspect at the meeting; Alston said he expects to be contacted with both an explanation and a remedy.

The council did not take formal disciplinary action at the meeting; staff said the inquiry is ongoing and that outcomes will follow once the investigation completes.