The Black city manager of a small Texas town has been ousted from her job after a video was posted online showing her pole dancing during a work trip, which drew mixed reactions and prompted a city investigation at the time it surfaced. The Dayton City Council voted 4-1 on Nov. 18 to dismiss City Manager Kimberly Judge, the first woman and Black person to serve as the town’s chief executive. Dayton City Manager Kimberly Judge (LinkedIn) The city first placed Judge on administrative leave in October after footage that amounted to a one-second clip showing her dancing on a light pole on the sidewalk during a business trip went viral. The video was shot in Dallas, where Judge traveled to attend the Texas Municipal League Conference as a representative for the city of Dayton. Her job was left hanging in the balance pending an investigation into unprofessional conduct and insubordinate behavior after controversy erupted amongst several city council members. The members who opposed Judge’s actions called her behavior inappropriate, while the ones who defended Judge stated that her actions weren’t as outrageous as others claimed. Weeks before the video surfaced, she filed a racial and sex-based discrimination complaint against city leaders which an independent firm investigated. After the clip was posted, Judge rebuked it, saying it was part of a “low-level smear campaign.” A PR firm that represented her stated she was “dancing and enjoying herself with a group of close friends.” The third-party firm that investigated Judge’s discrimination claims found no evidence to back her allegations. As for the investigation into her conduct, other third-party investigators determined Judge violated the city’s policies. City council members voted 4-1 to end Judge’s employment with the city and replace her with Police Chief and Assistant City Manager Derek Woods in an interim capacity until a permanent replacement is hired. Several citizens spoke up in support of Judge at the council meeting. Others vocalized their opposition to her behavior. “We are here because of the video and there is nothing that you can tell where it filmed and where,” Dayton resident and former city councilmember Sherial Alwson said. “If there was an issue, why wasn’t it shared then? Think there are people who ran for council that are out to fire Kimberly. Is her performance being questioned? The citizens of Dayton are here to support our city manager.” “Leaders don’t do things like that,” Councilman Adam Spear said. Spear has maintained a hardline against Judge’s behavior. “The main issue I had was … it was a city-paid trip,” Spear said during an initial session where Judge was placed on leave. “Leaders don’t take taxpayer dollars and then go act a fool while you’re representing the city.” Judge held a combined 38 years of municipal government experience in multiple Texas cities, eight of which were served with the city of Dayton where she became the city manager in Jan. 2023. Before her promotion to that position, she served as the city’s Director of Planning, Assistant City Manager, and Interim Public Works Director. Following the council’s vote to terminate her from her role, Judge shared that she plans to sue the city for breach of contract. Some citizens took to online forums to post their thoughts about the video and Judge’s subsequent termination. “A sign of showing a little fun and levity, and she receives termination. I’ve read or seen nothing that the dancing was inappropriate in nature, which would be the only reason to let her go if in official capacity,” one Facebook user wrote. “Absolutely ridiculous, and if she bankrupts the city with a lawsuit, it will be nothing short of self inflicted.” “At the next office birthday or holiday parties, staff need to pull out their phones and start recording. The Citizens of Dayton should start fliming city workers texting and talking on their cell phones during work hours while driving. Those caught doing inappropriate acts should get fired as well,” another person added. “The City is singling out an employee. Revisit and have all employee sign a Code of Ethics on a yearly basis as a friendly reminder.” ‘Ridiculous’: Texas Town’s First Black Manager Fired After Being Accused of ‘Acting a Fool’ In 1-Second Pole Dancing Video That Surfaced After She Filed Discrimination Complaint