Glennville ethics committee meeting sparks backlash

GLENNVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) -Dozens of Glennville residents packed City Hall Thursday after two videos involving city officials circulated online, but many left the meeting frustrated after learning how the city’s ethics complaint process works.

The crowd turned out for an ethics committee meeting after one video from April 28th showed city leaders making derogatory comments and another video from a May 5 city council meeting showed a law enforcement officer pushing a resident inside City Hall.

During the meeting, an ethics committee member told the crowd the committee’s role is limited.

“Our job is not to provide a decision for what happened,” the member said.

According to Glennville’s code of ethics, complaints are submitted to the city clerk and then forwarded to the mayor and city council. The ethics committee can review complaints and gather information, but findings are submitted to the city council, which can issue a public reprimand or censure, or request a resignation.

That means the same leaders in the video are the ones who will decide the action.

“It sounds like those who commit the crimes get to decide their own punishment,” Glennville resident Joanne Anderson said.

Among those attending was Zuber Malek, a Glennville business owner and philanthropist referenced in one of the videos. In the recording, city officials can be heard calling him a “terrorist” and saying “Do you think if we hit him with holy water he’d melt?”

“I didn’t believe it. But then I seen the whole version like over and over, it’s just… they do not fit the leadership standard,” Malek said.

Malek attended Thursday’s meeting with his attorney, Greg Gilluly, who said they plan to keep pushing for action.

“What I saw in that video is reprehensible and it’s time to stand up against bullies to unite the people,” Gilluly said. “And it’s time to knuckle up because things have to change.”

Also in the crowd was Justin Enfinger, the resident seen being pushed in the May 5 video. Enfinger told WTOC he went to the meeting to ask questions about police training and says he previously had words with the same officer.

Enfinger said the situation escalated after the mayor and the officer spoke to him about that exchange. Enfinger says the mayor requested officers to take his son’s video while his son was recording. Enfinger said he exchanged some words with the officer and what happened next is clear on camera.

“And that’s when he lost his cool. And he said he tried to escort me to the door, but in the video, that’s not the way to the door,” Enfinger said. “That’s the way into a chair, a table, and a pillar.”

Enfinger said he believes change will come through community involvement.

“We can do better. We can get better representation,” Enfinger said. “And we can get rid of them now if we want to, we just have to get together as a community and do it.”

The Glennville city clerk said the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave.

City officials said another public meeting is expected Friday and WTOC will continue following the story.