Joplin city council members formally censured council member Ryan Jackson during Monday's council meeting, citing that he violated Joplin's code of ethics. A censure is a stern warning, but not a permanent removal from office.
The council initially voted to expel Jackson, but the vote failed. Council member Brian Cowles made a motion to censure Jackson and it passed 8-1. Council member Mary Price was the only dissenting vote.
Jackson was censured for an online hate comment and for threatening a local reporter. Right after the April 7 Jasper and Newton county municipal election, Jackson made a transphobic comment towards Ellie Wolsey, who was a city council candidate. Wolsey ran under the name Matthew because that is her legal name.
Jackson made a comment on Facebook saying, "Let's not say she, because he's obviously a man that has some psychological issues, we should not play into his mental delusion."
Dustin Lattimer with KSN/KODE reported on the comment and its controversy. Lattimer’s reporting prompted Jackson to call him — their phone conversation was recorded on video.
KRPS received a video of Lattimer speaking to Jackson on speaker phone. KSN's General Manager, John Hoffman, has permitted KRPS to share the video.
The video shows Jackson threatening to reveal the personal information of three staff members — Lattimer, Hoffman, and Bobbie Pottorff — to “national outlets.”
During Monday’s meeting, Joplin citizens and council members expressed their discomfort with Jackson’s actions. Seven citizens signed up for the public comment period.
Ron Burch with JOMO Pride said hateful comments towards Wolsey and threats to the media violated Missouri Revised Statutes 565.090. He said Jackson was also in clear violation of Joplin's code of ethics for city council members.
"I'm hurt for Ellie, I'm hurt for our community, and I'm hurt for the public spectacle you have created,” he added. “I urge the city to take swift action tonight on the violations of the code of ethics for a motion for a full public hearing of this body."
This is the second time there's been an effort to remove Jackson from the city council. In April 2025, he made similar comments about LGBTQ+ people on a KSN Facebook post about Trans Day of Visibility.
Burch started an effort to recall the council member, but it fell through.
Keenan Cortez, who was mayor at the time, had a private meeting with Jackson and Burch on what to do moving forward.
Cortez said, "Jackson would be more sensitive to the plight of the LGBTQ+ community when it came to statements he made publicly."
Cortez correlated the two events during Monday's meeting.
"And yet here we find ourselves again with a repeated history of language that is not sensitive to all citizens of the city of Joplin," he said.
Council member Jackson had the opportunity to make a statement before the council, city attorney Nick Edwards, and citizens at the meeting.
He admitted he did not have the reporter's personal information, as he had initially threatened.
"I spoke out of anger, and it was not correct,” he said. The tonality was terrible. The messaging could have been handled so much better, and I apologize."
However, Jackson stood firm on his First Amendment rights.
"So, for me to be scrutinized for my exercise of the freedom of speech, I can understand,” he said. “We can agree that we don't like something someone says, but that doesn't take away our right to say it."
Council members gave statements before casting the censure vote.
According to Cortez, Jackson had said, "what could be considered bigoted speech" during his time as a council member. He said council members are held to a higher standard than private citizens.
"We have a little bit higher calling to our conduct when we choose to take this seat,” he said. “And when we don't hold that up, when we do things to violate that, it should call into question our suitability to sit within this body."
Other council members echoed similar sentiments.
Josh DeTar said freedom of speech does not equal freedom from consequences.
"You say things that are disparaging to others. To kick them while they're down, then that's conduct unbecoming, in my opinion," he added.
In an email to KRPS, KSN/KODE's General Manager, John Hoffman, sent a statement regarding Jackson's censure.
"We appreciate the council's willingness to address concerns about Mr. Jackson's conduct and to engage in a public discussion. Efforts to intimidate or silence members of the media are unacceptable and run counter to the principles of transparency and accountability."
