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August-29-2024-edition

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August 29 - September 4, 2024

VOL. 39, No. 35

Your Community Connection Since 1994

Former Inglewood Employee Ups the Ante in Lawsuit to $65 Million

By Veronica Mackey

The salacious lawsuit filed by Melanie McDade, former Senior Assistant and girlfriend of Mayor James T, Butts, against the City of Inglewood recently got even nastier. According to sources, lawyers for McDade have sent a demand letter for $65 million to settle the lawsuit. It appears that McDade wants to collect damages for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation by the mayor after she ended their 8-year affair. The City alleges that McDade was fired because of fraudulent activity related to forging documents in order to secure a home loan. Here’s a recap of the events which developed following their nasty breakup: Ms. McDade was hired as the Senior Assistant to James Butts, who became mayor in 2011. They had an 8-year romantic relationship. Mayor Butts was (and still is) married. During their relationship, McDade became one of the highest paid employees in the city, earning close to $300,000 per year, According to McDade’s attorneys, Martin and Martin LLP, their client produced “thousands of texts, emails

By Maya Mackey

and documents” from Butts, indicating her employment with the City was contingent on her continuing to accept his unwanted sexual advances. In a series of text messages on

deliberately ignore a boss’s call and maintain employment.” McDade also accused the mayor of stalking her, and showing up at her home unannounced at all hours of the night. McDade initially sued the City of Inglewood in 2021 for $12 million in damages. Her attorneys recently increased their ask for more than 5 times the amount to $65 million, and said she is willing to accept the maximum allowed by the City’s insurance policy, believed to be about $35 million. Current Assistant City Manager Jose Cortes (former Human Resources Director) and former City Manager Artie Fields were named as co-defendants with Mayor Butts in the lawsuit. In a statement, the City of Inglewood replied: “In 2019, Melanie McDade invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions about the misconduct that ultimately led to her termination at the City of Inglewood. The evidence shows she forged City documents, Mother’s Day 2018, Butts allegedly falsified payroll records, submitted expressed his desire to reconcile with McDade, but she did not respond. fraudulent documents to obtain funds “According to the excerpt, Butts wrote, “no mayoral assistant would Continued on page 8

Bill Passed to Extend Hours of Alcohol Service at Intuit

A.B. 3206, a bill authored by California Assemblymember Tina Mckinnor (D-Hawthorne) and backed by 21 state senators, will authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages to extend past 2 a.m. until 4 a.m, if approved by the State Assembly and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill applies to fully enclosed arenas with

a seating capacity of at least 18,000 seats, located in the City of Inglewood, and if specified conditions are met. The bill will allow for the extended hours of alcohol purchase until January 1, 2030. Qualified venues in Inglewood will have to notify the City and police department and pay a $2,000 fee to operate sales past 2 a.m. They may renew their licenses annually for $1,500.

Only the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, meets the criteria of the bill, which specifies that alcohol can only be served in a part of the arena that doesn’t surpass 2,500 square feet or 100 people maximum in line, and that sales occur in a private area in the arena that is available only to members of a private club and their guests.

Intuit would be allowed to serve alcohol past 2 a.m. to members with access to private luxury suites, which can exceed $10,000 per game. In contrast, SoFi stops alcohol sales during the third quarter of all games, and half-time during concerts. Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murietta) told Continued on page 7

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