DETROIT — The City of Detroit announced on Tuesday that current councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins will replace Charles Pugh as city council president, after allegations surfaced against previous president Charles Pugh, claiming that he had inappropriate relations with a teen, who was a minor at the time. 

Pugh.

Pugh hasn’t made a public appearance in weeks and has also been a no-show at the last three city council meetings, after the mother of an 18-year-old high school graduate accused him of having an inappropriate relationship with her son, while he was under age and still in high school.

In late June, the mother and her son filed a police report at the Madison Heights Police Department, alleging that Pugh had “inappropriate contact” with the teen, while he was mentoring him through a leadership program at Frederick Douglass Academy in Detroit. The program was up-started by Pugh in an effort to assist “troubled teens,” who needed guidance and mentorship.

The mother of the young man has requested that both her and the son’s names remain anonymous in the press, so as to prevent her son from facing any psychological and emotional distress.  According to her, Pugh met the then minor back in September, and the two developed a relationship that went beyond the mentoring program. 

The mother alleges that Pugh gave the teen gifts, including a $350 cell phone and clothes for prom and also picked him up from school without his mother’s permission. Lawyers representing the family have also said that they have text messages between Pugh and the teen that could be deemed inappropriate.  

Jenkins

Other text messages involving Pugh have already gone public, including some that were sent from him to the mother, asking her to not go public with any allegations involving him and her son, because it would force him to resign from city council and destroy any chances of ever working in Detroit again. 

Pugh had previously gained attention in the local media for being an openly gay politician. His mass appeal made him the top vote-getting candidate during the City’s 2009 municipality race, granting him the title as president of the Council since 2010.  

This week, the Madison Heights Police Department announced that it would be suspending an investigation into the allegations, per the family’s request, because the spotlight had become too much of a burden for the victim’s family. The department claims that the teen is currently looking to seek some type of counseling.  In the meantime, any possible charges against Pugh will be placed on hold. 

After pulling a no-show at the last three City Council meetings, Emergency Manager Kevin Orr announced that Pugh would be stripped of his salary and authority. The next councilman in line to replace Pugh would’ve been Former Pro-Tem Councilman Gary Brown, but he had already accepted a new position with the emergency manager in late June, also leaving his seat vacant. 

The seats left vacant by Pugh and Brown will not be immediately filled by new candidates. However, Orr announced that the city council will remain functional with two less people until the November 2013 election, when all nine seats will be up for election. Currently, 54 candidates are vying for the nine positions. 

More vacancies may surface on the Detroit City Council throughout the rest of this year as well. Current Councilman Kenneth Cockrel Jr., who is not seeking a re-election, said at the last city council meeting that he can’t guarantee that he will resume his post until the end of the year. He says that, because of Detroit’s tough job market, he has already applied for several positions and might be required to leave his post prematurely if he is hired. 

Jenkins, meanwhile, becomes Detroit’s first female city council president since Monica Conyers brief stint in 2008-2009. Before being elected to the council in 2009, Jenkins was the head of the residential treatment program at the Mariner’s Inn. She’s has a reputation with residents for being a moderate on the council.