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A post-meeting confrontation between two Farmers Branch City Council members on June 2 has escalated into dueling public accounts, a formal ethics complaint and an active police investigation with a special-called city council planned for Thursday, June 11, to address what city officials are calling “councilmember interactions.”
The incident occurred after the main cameras were turned off following the regular city council meeting, when a vote on leadership positions left at least one council member angry at the outcome. The incident became the subject of public discussion on social media.
The incident was expected to be addressed during an executive session Thursday when the city council will meet with the city attorney to discuss “councilmember interactions involving matters in which the duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with Chapter 551,” according to the city's agenda.
However, a statement on Facebook by Council Member Tina Bennett-Burton the evening of Tuesday, June 9, said, "There is a special called meeting this Thursday at 5pm. I know it says executive session but the power of three have asked it to be public. There is video from a motion detector camera in the chambers that will also be shown. I have NOT seen the video."
The agenda does not identify the council members involved or provide additional details about the matter and was published before Elizabeth Villafranca filed a sworn ethics complaint with the city secretary on Monday, June 8.
Council Member Lupe Gonzalez, District 1, released a public statement on Facebook on June 5 describing a pattern of intimidation she said culminated in Council Member Elizabeth Villafranca, District 4, aggressively approaching her across the dais, entering into her personal space and verbally attacking her. Gonzalez also alleged that Mayor Terry Lynne physically pushed her while attempting to intervene and that a police officer ultimately stepped between the council members.
Villafranca disputes that account in a formal Code of Ethics complaint filed Monday, June 8, with the city secretary’s office, under oath before a notary public, alleging that Gonzalez was the aggressor in the confrontation.
According to Villafranca’s sworn complaint, she was conversing with City Attorney David Berman on the dais after the meeting concluded, surrounded by city staff, council members and Farmers Branch police officers when Gonzalez approached her from across the chamber. In the complaint, Villafranca alleged Gonzalez approached her aggressively, used profanity, threatened her and moved within inches of her face. Villafranca further alleged that police officers physically restrained Gonzalez to prevent the situation from escalating.
In comments to the Branch Herald, Villafranca disputed Gonzalez's public account of the incident.
"Is she willing to submit that statement under oath?" Villafranca said of Gonzalez's statement.
Villafranca said she provided a statement to police but declined to discuss additional details, citing what she described as an active police investigation.
"I'm really not at liberty to discuss a lot of details because there is an active police investigation," Villafranca said.
She described Gonzalez's statement as "more smear campaign" and "more falsehoods."
As of publication, neither councilmember's account had been independently verified by the Branch Herald.
The Branch Herald reached out to Gonzalez but did not receive a response by press time.
The Branch Herald contacted the city manager's office seeking information about the incident and the purpose of the executive session. In a written statement, the city acknowledged the matter but declined to discuss specifics.
"The City of Farmers Branch is aware of the recent incident involving members of the City Council," the statement said. "As the matter is currently under review, it would be inappropriate to comment on specific details at this time, and consequently, the City cannot release an official statement at this time." The city added that operations continue as normal and that the council remains focused on serving residents and conducting public business.
The June 11 agenda includes a public comment period before council members convene into executive session. Residents will be allowed to address the council during the public comment portion of the meeting, subject to the city's normal rules and time limits.
Executive sessions are not open to the public, and residents will not be able to attend the council's discussion with its attorney. However, Bennett-Burton's Facebook message makes it appear that a voting majority of the council, at least three council members, will vote to pull the meeting from executive session, making the meeting public, allowing a video of the conflict be shown in public.
It remains unclear whether council members will take any action related to the matter after returning to open session.
The Branch Herald has requested additional information from city officials and will continue reporting as more details become available.
Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect breaking news after the story was made public online but before it was sent in our newsletter.
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