Patterson City Council statement calls allegations against mayor ‘serious, troubling’
The Patterson City Council voted at Tuesday night’s meeting to approve a statement addressing allegations of misconduct against Mayor Dennis McCord, just one day after he was served official notice that residents are moving forward with a recall.
McCord was accused in October of responding “Wish I was there” to a Snapchat bikini photo sent to him by a student at Patterson High School, where he teaches math, the Patterson Irrigator first reported.
Although a police investigation ended without bringing official charges, McCord is now on leave from his position while the Patterson Joint Unified School district conducts a personnel investigation.
The page-long statement was approved on a 4-0 vote, with McCord abstaining. It says council members will not take any more action while the school board continues to investigate and information remains limited, but it calls the allegations “serious and troubling.” It urges McCord to consider how the situation has affected public trust in himself and the city.
“City residents have the right to expect highest level of integrity, respect and personal behavior of its elected officials,” the statement reads.
After discussing all their options at the Feb. 1 meeting, council members voted during Tuesday’s online meeting to put out the joint statement as a combination of their individual comments on the matter. They emphasized this option as a way to return to city business, something a couple of members said has been difficult the last few months.
The council opted out of harsher condemnations, such as a censure or vote of no confidence, and noted they did not have the option to remove McCord even if they wanted to because he is an elected official.
Councilman Dominic Farinha, who was unable to attend the last council meeting, added his comments into the public record.
He said absences from McCord and lengthy public comment periods have created issues for the council’s ability to govern, but he emphasized — as other council members have — the need to take allegations seriously.
Farinha also acknowledged the time McCord has dedicated to the city of Patterson over the years and said he has “honorably served’‘ his country and community as a military veteran and politician.
“I wish the sincere best for you and your family, who right now is suffering tremendously from this devastating ordeal,” Farinha said.
McCord’s wife spoke during public comment — the first time anyone from McCord’s family has done so. “Dennis is the strongest man and most caring man I know,” Grace McCord said. “Dennis is a good man.”
She did not directly address the allegations against her husband but said her family’s name had been “slandered over the newspaper, the City Council meetings and on Facebook.”
She condemned the people speaking about her family, arguing they were quoting Bible verses at meetings in bad faith to justify their movement against the mayor. Grace McCord pulled her own Bible verses out, telling the rest of the attendees not to judge others or they would also be judged.
“Please have some thought before spewing hateful things that are damaging to our family,” Grace McCord said.
For some members of the public, the City Council’s statement has not gone far enough in addressing the allegations.
Patterson resident Kandace Weyhrauch, who has led the effort against McCord, still believes the council has the information it needs to censure McCord based on the Snapchat data included in the police report.
She also believes the council should directly ask more questions of McCord, who has not addressed the issue in any of the public meetings, including the ones he’s led. McCord has told The Modesto Bee he cannot comment because of the ongoing school board investigation.
“It is your job as our elected officials of Patterson to act ethically, and that includes doing the right thing, even when it’s not the easiest,” Weyhrauch told the council.
Since McCord will not step down, Weyhrauch said, she and other opponents are continuing their recall effort.
Weyhrauch said in an interview that she filed a notice of intent to recall Tuesday with the Patterson city clerk. Additionally, McCord was served the recall notice Monday, and he has a week to respond to the recall proponents, according to state rules.
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 1:10 PM.
