Beckley mayor apologizes to council member after email

Aug. 12—A Beckley Common Council meeting which had little of note on its agenda ended with the youngest member of council confronting Beckley's mayor regarding a distasteful comment made to him and a local resident in a group email exchange.

Following the regular business at Tuesday's council meeting, which was held virtually because of a local uptick in Covid cases, Councilman Cody Reedy read what appeared to be a prepared statement regarding comments which attacked his character made by an individual he only referred to as "the leader of our city."

"I received an email that said, 'Step up boy. Momma and dad shouldn't control you forever.' ... To refer to a grown man as a boy is not something I would expect from the leader of our city," Reedy said.

It was revealed later in the meeting by Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold that he was the individual who made the comments. The mayor issued a public apology to Reedy during the meeting.

The Register-Herald was able to obtain the emails which were sent beginning Monday morning with a question from local real estate agent Brian Brown regarding the lease agreement for Fruits of Labor, which is setting up business in a downtown building the city recently purchased.

Brown, who spoke with The Register-Herald on Wednesday, said Rappold was addressing him and Reedy when he made the "boys" comment which Brown said was shocking as well as upsetting for several reasons.

"While I certainly expect the disrespect from (Rappold), it was shocking for it to be so in your face," Brown said. "Him calling me a boy — and I tried to take a step back from that and say, 'Well, he's calling Cody (Reedy) and I boys' — which is still inappropriate," said Brown, a Black man. "But I'm a 46-year-old man and to refer to a 46-year-old Black man as a boy has additional consequences in history than calling out a 25-year-old person a boy. And contextually, he should know that. He did not care and wanted to be as disrespectful as possible."

Brown has long been critical of the route which the city took to bring Fruits of Labor to Beckley, which included purchasing a building and parking lot in downtown Beckley for just over $1 million for the business to move into.

Brown's initial emails, which he provided to the paper, were addressed only to city treasurer Billie Trump. He said he's been emailing Trump every few weeks to inquire about the Fruits of Labor lease agreement.

Trump informed Brown that the city was "still finalizing the terms for the building and parking lot."

Trump has previously stated, and reiterated in subsequent emails to Brown, that the city does not intend to use the lease to recoup the $1 million it spent in purchasing the property. He said the city will be able to profit from the business in other ways including the business and occupancy tax and 1 percent sales tax as well as the foot traffic that the café brings to the city.

As their exchange continued, Rappold, all of the Beckley Common Council members and other city employees were copied into the emails by Trump, Brown said.

Reedy, who voted against the city's purchase of the Zen's building, then responded in the email chain, inquiring how the city can "allow a business to move into a property without having a lease agreement." He goes on to state that the only way to do business fairly is to "have Fruits of Labor pay a lease that would cover a mortgage cost of a 1-million-dollar building. There are many profitable businesses that were not as lucky as Fruits of Labor to receive a million-dollar building as a startup."

It was after these comments that the following email was sent to everyone in the email chain by Rappold, who addressed Brown's and Reedy's critical comments.

"Some people just don't get it. And that's ok," Rappold wrote in an email that was sent around 8 p.m. Monday.

"Puppets can't cut the strings of influence, even when it comes to doing the best in their positions of 'authority' for the betterment of the City they claim to respect. Step up boys and be men. Momma and Dad shouldn't control you forever. You lost a legitimate vote. Fruits of Labor is sending a resounding message to the entire state and beyond that your brains can't conceive."

"Who are you both?" Rappold writes, ending his email.

Rappold offered Reedy an apology Tuesday during the council meeting, saying, "That was far from my finest moment. It was late at night. I was frustrated and I'm the first to admit that I was somewhat immature. And I hope in time you will find it in your heart to accept my apology."

Reedy told The Register-Herald after the meeting that while he did feel the need to address the mayor's comments publicly, he did accept the apology.

"He apologized so I think we're fine to go and move on and do what we can to help the city," he said.

Brown said that as of Thursday evening, he has not received any further communication from the mayor.

Rappold spoke with The Register-Herald Thursday night and said he was "ashamed" of what he said in the email. He added that it was sent as a "knee jerk reaction" which he regretted immediately.

Following Tuesday's meeting, Rappold said, he reached out to Reedy via email apologizing again for his actions.

When asked whether he would be doing the same with Brown, Rappold stated he and Brown have a complicated history that he does not wish to bring further attention to by making any other statements.

The Register-Herald also reached out to several council members who expressed their shock after reading the mayor's response in the email chain.

Councilwoman Janine Bullock said, even in emails, public officials should remember the civility resolution which was put in place by council in 2018.

"We are public servants and we have to be very conscientious of our behavior and our demeanor towards the citizens and our constituents of the city of Beckley," Bullock said.

She added that she was "appalled" by the email and felt it would be appropriate for the mayor to apologize to Brown as well.

Councilman Tom Sopher said he was 100 percent in support of Reedy and his response to the situation.

"I'm proud of him. I really am," Sopher said. "...I was somewhat surprised at the mayor's comments and Cody (Reedy) had every right to do what he did."

Councilman Robert Dunlap said this instance serves as a reminder that sometimes it is best to sit back and reflect before rushing to hit send on something that cannot easily be taken back or delated.

"I think we live in a technology age and when everyone makes themselves available constantly through email, social media — it doesn't surprise me that when we react on our personal time to messages, that we don't necessarily put our best foot forward," Dunlap said. "Realistically, this is a good lesson for all people in public service."