Groping

Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts is facing calls to resign after being accused of groping a teenage cheerleader while posing for a photo at a city hall community event this week. His office has denied any misconduct, but the incident has renewed scrutiny of a long history of allegations against him that have never resulted in criminal charges or removal from office.

Past claims include a 1993 criminal referral, later dropped for insufficient evidence, alleging he molested his young daughter and choked his then-wife unconscious, which Butts denied. A 2021 wrongful termination lawsuit from a former executive assistant, with whom he had a relationship, alleged workplace sexual demands and stalking after the relationship ended; the case was later dismissed on procedural grounds. He also faced scrutiny over a 2012 contract awarded to a company that had hired his brother, and a retaliation dispute with the city's former treasurer that reached the California Supreme Court, which sided with the city. Butts has not directly addressed the latest allegation.