MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Housing Authority took steps toward terminating their executive director Wednesday.
Robert Lipscomb was suspended with pay from MHA after he resigned from his other job as Director of Housing and Community Development for the city of Memphis.
Wednesday morning the Memphis Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners met. On the agenda was a resolution about Lipscomb’s employment status as executive director, which by the way the resolution read, appeared to be coming to an end soon.
In part the solution read like this:
“WHEREAS, the pending investigation for alleged criminal sexual misconduct of the Executive Director is creating an unnecessary distraction for the agency and
WHEREAS, the charges against the Executive Director will not allow him to provide his full focus and attention to the current needs and business of the agency and
WHEREAS, under the current circumstances, it is the opinion of the Board of Commissioners that Robert Lipscomb cannot effectively provide the harmonious working relationship between the City of Memphis Administration and the Memphis Housing Authority…”
The resolution continued: “Due to the distraction and disruption set forth it is in the best interest of the Memphis Housing Authority to terminate Robert Lipscomb as executive director.”
However, on Wednesday the board decided the resolution won’t be taken up until next week.
“Right now he remains suspended with pay until such time the board makes a decision otherwise,” Lipscomb’s attorney Ricky Wilkins said.
The board did approve a $130,000 salary for Lipscomb’s current replacement Maura Black Sullivan, who is acting as the interim executive director.
Wilkins said he’ll be at next week’s meeting. He continued to stand by his client’s innocence and said he believes he should keep his job.
“He certainly desires to remain the executive director of the housing authority, and we’re going to continue to push for that and hope the board will agree with us when that matter comes before it,” Wilkins said.
No one wanted to comment on the situation right now, including Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s Chief of Staff Jack Sammons or anyone in MHA.
