Henderson council censures member over social media complaint; accepts city manager’s immediate resignation

The Henderson City Council voted 6-1 on Sept. 8 to publicly censure Councilmember Geraldine Champion after hearing a formal complaint alleging false and threatening statements were made on a July Facebook Live broadcast.

City Attorney and City Manager Hassan T. Kingsberry read the complaint from resident Charles Turrentine Jr., who said Councilmember Champion accused him on social media of sexual misconduct, bribery and threats of violence and that the statements caused reputational harm and safety concerns. Turrentine told the council he denied the allegations.

Champion responded that she was speaking as a private citizen and said her comments were based on public court records; she denied making false statements. “I always use disclaimers in my social media posts to clarify I am not speaking on behalf of the city,” Champion said during the meeting minutes’ summary of her remarks.

Councilmember Sam Seifert moved to censure Champion publicly; Lamont Noel seconded the motion. The censure passed 6-1, with Councilmember Michael Venable recorded as the lone no vote. Councilmembers voting yes were Garry D. Daeke, Ola Thorpe-Cooper, Tami Walker, Geraldine Champion, Sara M. Coffey, Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert, as recorded in the minutes.

The censure action followed a broader discussion about the City’s Social Media Policy, council conduct and the limits of official versus private speech by elected officials. Council members debated whether evidence should be weighed now or after pending court proceedings; several members urged adherence to the City policy regardless of other processes.

Separately, after a closed-session personnel discussion, the council accepted the immediate resignation of Hassan T. Kingsberry as City Manager/City Attorney and appointed Deputy City Clerk Paylor Spruill as interim city manager. The council said it would consult the North Carolina League of Municipalities in selecting a new city attorney.

The meeting minutes note that Councilmember Walker apologized to Kingsberry for earlier inappropriate language by another member, and that citizens and the Chamber of Commerce had submitted letters expressing concern about council conduct. The meeting adjourned at about 9:00 p.m.

What happens next: The censure is a formal public reprimand under the council’s rules; the council’s stated next steps included consulting the North Carolina League of Municipalities for legal selection and implementing an interim managerial arrangement.