By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – A high-ranking city employee is calling out Springfield aldermen on her personal social media – in a vulgar fashion.
After a lengthy council meeting recently, deputy clerk Nicole Cunningham criticized the aldermen, solicited people to run against them next year, and then called the aldermen “assholes.”
Cunningham followed up with another post, comparing someone concerned about the original post to a cartoon character, Soviet spy Natasha from “Rocky and Bullwinkle.” She added, “I can’t post my opinion or exercise my freedom of speech due to where I work. Did I hurt someone’s feelings?”
Accompanying that post is a graphic of a lit match and the words “If standing up for yourself burns a bridge, I have matches. We ride at dawn.”
City Hall sources tell WJBC’s Dave Dahl city clerk Frank Lesko considers this a free speech issue and that only Lesko – not aldermen or other city employees – can discipline her.
Ald. Chuck Redpath says it’s a bad reflection not only on Cunningham, but on Lesko and on the city. He tells WJBC’s Dave Dahl he would like Lesko to at least re-assign her if she dislikes attending council meetings. Redpath says disliking your job or the aldermen is one thing, but Cunningham’s use of vulgarity, albeit on her personal social media, crosses the line.
We’ve e-mailed Lesko and Cunningham, asking for comment.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].
