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Residents demand accountability after council member misgenders council president
Summary
Dozens of Erie residents used the public-comment period on June 17 to demand apology, censure or resignation after a council member allegedly misgendered Council President Dr. Titus at a prior meeting; speakers urged a formal code of decorum and better enforcement.
Dozens of people told Erie City Council on June 17 that a remark at a prior meeting — widely described by public commenters as an intentional misgendering of Council President Dr. Titus — damaged trust in the body and demanded action.
"One, the immediate resignation of the offending counselor," said Rya Wither, a resident and public commenter, calling on the council to hold the unidentified member accountable. Multiple speakers asked the council to censure the member, remove them from liaison roles or pass a written code of decorum with enforcement mechanisms.
Speakers framed the incident as more than a single exchange. Savannah Wilson, another commenter, said the conduct reflected "fragile masculinity" and that silence from council colleagues after the incident made the harm worse. Franco Harris, who identified himself as a 22‑year‑old Erie resident, said the episode mattered because "local elections have the greatest impact on our daily lives," and urged accountability.
Council members acknowledged the volume of public concern at the meeting's close and said they would review rules and procedures. Council President Dr. Titus, addressing the chamber, said: "Words matter. Actions matter. The culture we create through our behavior matters," and asked the body to strengthen its rules and accountability.
The public-record calls for action were broad but not uniform in remedy: some demanded immediate resignation, others asked only for a formal censure and a written decorum policy. No formal discipline or vote on censure occurred during the June 17 meeting. Councilmembers and the mayor said they would examine council rules and consider next steps.
The outcry came as part of a long public‑comment session that also included other civic concerns — from proposed rental‑inspection ordinance changes to a neighborhood fence dispute — but the misgendering incident dominated the night and prompted repeated calls for concrete institutional changes. The council passed a Juneteenth resolution that evening and moved several routine appropriations; it did not take formal disciplinary action related to the alleged misgendering during the session.
What happens next: Council members pledged to review procedures and consider rule changes and possible disciplinary options, but no timetable for such changes was announced at the meeting.
