Brian Platt has been fired from his position as Kansas City, Missouri, City Manager.
The firing comes after the three-week suspension he received following a near-$1 million lawsuit against the city alleging that Platt discriminated against a city employee who spoke against Platt’s suggestion of lying to the media.
Mayor Quinton Lucas told local media outlets that Kansas City’s reputation has been damaged and the city council lost confidence in Platt’s leadership abilities. The City Council vote to remove Platt was unanimous and was based on more than just the lawsuit.
At the City Council meeting, Mayor Lucas listed additional factors that led to Platt’s dismissal, some of which were ineffectiveness in handling personal matters, failure to establish department goals, unresponsiveness to elected officials on certain issues, and failure to accept constructive criticism.
Platt, who is Jewish, began his role as city manager in 2020, having previously held the same position in Jersey City, New Jersey. Last year, Platt was in the running for the city manager position of Austin, Texas, but dropped out of consideration, subsequently receiving his contract extension and raise.
Platt’s involvement in the Kansas City Jewish community has included involvement and appearances at multiple events, including the city’s menorah lightings and Oct. 7 commemoration.