NORTHAMPTON — Ward 3 City Councilor Quaverly Rothenberg was censured by the council following a March 12 special meeting called to address her conduct during a non-emergency dispatch call in which she “used her position in an improper way in an attempt to coerce city employees to violate protocols of their employment.”
The resolution to censure Rothenberg was authored by Council President Alex Jarrett, At-Large Councilor Melissa Elkins and Ward 1 Councilor Stanley Moulton, and cites Massachusetts Law as stating that “no current officer of employee of the state, country or municipal agency shall knowingly, or with reason to know … use or attempt to use such official position to secure for such officer, employee or others unwarranted privileges or exemptions which are of substantial value and which are not properly available to similar situated individuals.”
A censure is designed to show the council’s disapproval of Rothenberg’s actions and does not prevent her from continuing to serve on the council or any of its subcommittees.
The resolution specifically states Rothenberg spoke with two dispatchers in way that violated the city charter and potentially state law governing “the ethical conduct of public officials, harassed city employees and generally behaved in a manner unbecoming to a city councilor.”
The call took place on Feb. 18, after the severe ice storm that left many side streets in poor conditions for the several days that followed. Rothenberg contacted the non-emergency dispatch line in an attempt to get city support for streets in Ward 3. A full recording of the call was released, presented during the meeting and is available on the agenda for the special City Council meeting.
During the call, Rothenberg requested the dispatcher provide her with updates on the city’s plan to clear ice and said she was trying to get information for her constituents. The call was placed at 11:19 p.m.
“I’m trying to get updates to my constituents about what the city is planning for emergency snow and ice removal,” Rothenberg said. “I need Linden Street shut off. People are sliding down it.”
The dispatcher explained to Rothenberg that all they could do was put in a request to the DPW to put down sand or salt in the area, or she could call the DPW directly and make the request that way. Rothenberg rejected the dispatcher’s explanation and requested an emergency contact for the DPW.
“What protocol do you think makes it not possible for you to share the emergency number with me,” Rothenberg asked on the recording.
After the dispatcher refused to give Rothenberg the emergency contact information for the DPW, Rothenberg stated the “City Council outranks the mayor” and also repeated an incorrect rumor that DPW Director Donna LaScaleia had resigned that day.
In a March 8 memo sent to Jarrett and Elkins, LaScaleia denied she had any intention of resigning from her position.
“At best, the councilor was repeating a completely baseless rumor to my coworkers in dispatch, and at worst, she was establishing the rumor,” LaScaleia wrote. “But it was unfounded and untrue, a direct attack on my professionalism and commitment to the city in the midst of a severe weather event, personally offensive and profoundly disrespectful.”
LaScaleia also noted Rothenberg’s call and false claim led to “uncertainty, chaos and fear,” within the department and said that Rothenberg has promoted “a culture of bullying and fear” since joining the council in January 2024.
The call did not end there as Rothenberg was then transferred to a second dispatcher who reiterated Rothenberg could use the DPW public number to put in a request, but she was not entitled to an emergency contact. Rothenberg then asked if the dispatcher understood what a city councilor is and if they were aware of how the government was structured in the city.
Rothenberg continued to ask why she was unable to receive an emergency contact number for the DPW to which the dispatch reiterated it was policy to not give out those types of contacts to the public.
“I am not the public I am a city councilor. You understand that everybody in this city works for the City Council?” she said.
The resolution also cited the city charter stating that only the mayor has power over the executive departments in the city. Eventually,
Rothenberg requested a DPW worker be sent to her own address and the call ended.
Rothenberg began the special meeting by recusing herself from the discussion.
“Because the resolution calls upon the mayor to take action to make sure that I don’t do anything that would lead me to violate what you have alleged is a crime, that carries financial penalties, I very clearly have a conflict of interest and so I have to recuse myself,” said Rothenberg.
Elkins said the resolution spoke for itself and she was “troubled” by hearing the call after hearing Rothenberg’s assessment of the call at a previous council meeting before the recording was released publicly. She also noted Rothenberg’s behavior was becoming a pattern as this was not the first time the council had to decide on whether or not to respond to something in this context.
“A councilor, particularly a first-term councilor having an issue like this — if it were the first incident of any time or example of this kind of conduct — would not generate this kind of response from the council but that is not the case,” Elkins said of Rothenberg.
Jarrett said while he understood Rothenberg was trying to advocate for her constituents in the midst of dangerous weather conditions, councilors have no executive power or legislative power they can individually exert.
“Our power comes from the council acting as a body and that power is clearly laid out in the charter. No individual councilor can speak for the full unless that power is granted by the whole council,” said Jarrett. “I felt [censure] was appropriate in this case because of the charter and possible ethics violations and the impact on the DPW. This is a political expression of disapproval of particular behavior, and I welcome constructive ways to move forward in addition.”
Moulton said he did not take it lightly that the council was looking to censure a colleague, but it was necessary in this instance.
“It’s an unprecedented action at least in the last half century in Northampton, but it’s necessary to reassure city employees and residents that the egregious conduct by Councilor Rothenberg will not be tolerated,” Moulton said. “Councilor Rothenberg’s false claims during the Feb. 18 call to the dispatch center that ‘the City Council outranks the mayor,’ and ‘everybody in this city works for the City Council’ demonstrates either ignorance of the charter or a willful misreading of its provisions. Moreover, Councilor Rothenberg’s repeated references to her position as a city councilor was an effort to coerce two dispatchers to violate their established protocols by giving her information that either did not exist or to which she was not entitled. That, in my opinion, was an abuse of her power as established by the city charter.”
Moulton said the standard of human decency and treating people with respect and dignity was something he holds himself to and has seen all of his colleagues, except Rothenberg, display during his two terms on the council.
“The 17 minute, 29 second call to dispatch on Feb. 18 captures her attitude of arrogance, condemnation and intimidation that I have witnessed before. Her approach to governing is disruptive and undermines the moral of municipal employees,” Moulton said. “In cosponsoring this resolution and asking for my colleague’s support, I speak not just for my constituents but also the many other residents throughout the city, including those from Ward 3, who have communicated to me that this egregious conduct by Councilor Rothenberg cannot be tolerated. It’s an embarrassment for the city and beneath the dignity of this body.”
The censure was approved through a 7-1-1 vote with Ward 4 Councilor Jeremy Dubs being the lone councilor to not vote in favor of the censure. He said when he first got involved with local government, he made many mistakes but was given grace to learn the job in real time.
Dubs argued that the process of censure felt more like “ganging up” on Rothenberg and felt that as a first-time councilor, she deserved the benefit of doubt, even if he agreed he was not in favor of her behavior on the call.
“I’m not questioning the validity of this resolution, I’m simply trying to say we can have our bad days and our bad moments. When I listen to the phone call, I hear frustration in Councilor Rothenberg’s voice and I have felt that frustration too,” Dubs said. “I thought about this a lot. At this moment, I don’t think I can vote in favor of it, but I don’t want people to think I’m not taking this seriously, because I am.”
Dubs added that he felt this could be a learning experience handled differently as opposed to an official procedure to mark Rothenberg’s behavior.
Other councilors disagreed with Dubs’ assessment and argued Rothenberg’s behavior has become a pattern and bringing this before the council was not an attack toward her, but a mark of her behavior for record.
Councilor At-Large Garrick Perry said he agreed with Dubs that people make mistakes and have bad days, but this situation was not as simple as that assessment. Perry added the recording has also made him curious about if Rothenberg has abused her power similarly in the past based on some of the statements made and her apparent perception of power as a councilor.
“I’m not afraid of bearing my heart and trying to listen and be understanding that people can have bad days and make mistakes. It’s what I do every day. But also, I’m not really good at tolerating people who spread mistruths and misrepresentations and who abuse their powers. That’s really what we’re talking about right here,” said Perry. “Dr. LaScaleia really noted there’s a pattern of this behavior. This is a councilor who believes being a councilor grants them universal privileges and powers beyond her elected duty.”
