Some consider Johnson County Board of Supervisors’ meetings “boring.” Not last week.

In a setting normally known for decorum and calm exchanges between officials and the public, the weekly Supervisor’s meeting erupted into incivility: accusations, shouting, finger-pointing, and swearing. 

Wednesday’s work session stayed on track until a previous conflict in July between Supervisor Royceann Porter and a woman representing the Indigenous community was referenced. On Wednesday, Porter reacted defensively after three people, including the woman from the incident in July, spoke about that earlier exchange.

Emotions became so heated that Chairperson Lisa Green-Douglass attempted to maintain decorum by holding a three-minute break. People continued to yell back and forth, and Green-Douglass continued to bang her gavel. 

Vice-chairperson Rod Sullivan then stood up and left the room; eventually, both the audio and video connections to the meeting were cut, though the audio was restored later in the week. The audio captured the raised voices of Porter and the attendees. 

Ultimately, Porter left the room and the meeting continued without her.

The initial conflict originated at board of supervisors meeting on July 6 when Sikowis Nobiss, a member of Plains Cree/Saulteaux of the George Gordon First Nation and founder and executive director of the Great Plains Action Society, accepted a proclamation from the county for Missing, Murdered Indigenous Relatives Awareness Day. 

Following a statement by Nobiss, Porter said she would have liked the proclamation to not only be about Indigenous people but all minority groups. She brought up an example of how Black community leaders have been called racial slurs in Johnson County.

Nobiss then asked Porter if Porter was trying to change the narrative to “all lives matter.”  Ultimately, Porter apologized for her remarks.

Then at the Oct. 4 county work session, while the supervisors were discussing changes to the proclamation process, Nobiss came to the work session and addressed the supervisors about Porter’s statement this past summer. 

Two other women got up to speak: Marie Krebs, a member of the Apache Nation and commissioner of the Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or ICTRC; and Amel Ali, who was formerly on the ICTRC.

Porter would later admit in an interview with the DI that she took personal offense by Ali’s presence at the meeting. Porter alleged that Ali had previously called Porter and other Black community leaders c***** on the Rock Hard Caucus podcast. The podcast has since been removed from the website and was part of the decision resulting in Ali being suspended by the ICTRC, and ultimately resigning from her position.

The audio clip of the work session reveals how the disagreement continued to center on the alleged harm felt by all sides. 

Supervisor Jon Green addressed Porter’s behavior the following day at Thursday’s formal session. 

“I’ve been quiet but I can’t be quiet any longer,” he said. “Supervisor Porter, when you come to work, you seem to have one of three objectives. The first is either to berate and abuse your fellow supervisors, fellow elected officials, and county staff to the point where if you were an employee of this county, you would probably be discharged for cause, [and] you would probably be liable for having established a hostile workplace.”  

He went on to express his opinion that Porter’s two additional objectives included promoting her personal business during county meetings and “heaping abuse upon the constituents and residents” that she has been elected to serve.

Green then recommended that his fellow supervisors zero out Porter’s budget line items for travel and strip her of her committee assignments. He later told The Daily Iowan he wouldn’t press the matter further if other supervisors did not feel the same way.

Green-Douglass reminded the supervisors that their weekly progress reports were not intended for personal use and questioned Green’s motives, as his statements did not fit within the guidelines of what supervisors’ reports are supposed to entail. Porter interjected that Green should be able to talk because she was planning to respond.

Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz spoke about accountability among supervisors.  

“There was a lot of harm that happened yesterday,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “And it’s because there wasn’t a process in place to address harm when it happened … I’m not even trying to single out one person when I say this. I think that there’s accountability for many of us on the board for when harm happens.”

When it came time for Porter to speak, she did not hold back. 

“You all can go to hell today,” she said, directing her comments initially to Green. 

Porter made clear that she also felt subject to a hostile work environment. Later, she told the DI she felt attacked by Green’s statements, said there was no trust between the supervisors and she cannot see herself working with Green or Fixmer-Oraiz in the future. 

“I’m going to move past it because I’m going to continue to do the governance of Iowa City, of Johnson County,” Porter said. “I’m going to continue to do what I’m supposed to do.”

Wednesday work session 

A week after the incident, at Wednesday’s work session, a dozen people came to speak during public comment in support Porter. The supervisors sat quietly as the public comment continued for roughly 30 minutes. Speakers expressed agreement by clapping for each other. Porter was visibly moved by their statements, as she cried during their supportive statements. 

Among the speakers was Iowa City City Council incumbent Pauline Taylor. 

“Shame on you supervisors, and you know which ones you are, for publicly ridiculing one of your own,” Taylor said. “I’ve been a member of many boards, commissions and, councils, so I know what it means to be a team player, and that just showed that was not a team player.” 

Members of the Black Voices Project, an Iowa City organization that works for Black people’s voices to be heard, were also in attendance and gave high praise of Porter for her work in the community.

Officials from the city and state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People spoke as well, including NAACP state second vice president Kevin Sanders. 

Sanders said he stands in solidarity with the Black leaders, and called out Green for making “a power play” against Porter, who he said has done a lot for the community.

“On behalf of the NAACP, I will not stand for it because I can’t be intimidated,” Sanders said. “We will take action if our African American leaders are disrespected. So I’m putting everyone on notice: govern yourself accordingly, and treat our leaders with respect.”