Irondequoit Town Councilwoman Patrina Freeman was censured on Tuesday by a 4-1 vote of the Town Board, after she accused Supervisor Rory Fitzpatrick of breaking her wrist.
The official reason behind the censure is contained in a document alleging that Freeman tried to use town resources to support her own organization, Irondequoit Commission Advancing Racial Equity (ICARE). Freeman cast the only “no” vote on the panel, which is made up of four Democrats and the Republican supervisor.
The censure resolution also says Freeman addressed town officials in a demeaning manner, refused to meet with other board members and behaved disruptively in town meetings. The document also mentions the incident in October in which Freeman said Supervisor Fitzpatrick slammed a door on her, catching her wrist and breaking it. Irondequoit police investigated and case doubt on whether the incident actually happened.
Freeman said the censure is symbol of the discrimination she has faced for the past 14 months. She is the town’s first Black elected official.
The censure means Freeman will have to communicate with town employees through Human Resources.
Freeman’s attorney, Nate McMurray, called the censure “extreme” and released a statement saying she was censured over “a cobbled together list of exaggerations, half truths and outright lies.”