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The former top aide to Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw sued the city last week, alleging the city retaliated against her after she raised legal concerns about messages she received related to Parks-Shaw’s campaign for mayor.
The whistleblower lawsuit, filed on Friday by Keema McCoy, alleges that the city transferred her to a lower-level position after she reported those concerns to Parks-Shaw. It does not name Parks-Shaw as a defendant.
The suit comes as Parks-Shaw, a council member since 2019, is one of four candidates mounting a campaign to succeed Mayor Quinton Lucas when his term ends next year. Lucas appointed Parks-Shaw as mayor pro tem in 2023.
The lawsuit alleges that when Parks-Shaw launched her campaign last year, McCoy began receiving campaign-related calls and emails on her city-issued devices. Those communications included questions about donations and fundraising related to Parks-Shaw’s campaign.
McCoy believed those communications violated city policies and laws governing the political activity of city employees. She reported those concerns to Parks-Shaw and said she was uncomfortable receiving campaign-related messages as a city employee, the suit said.
“McCoy further...
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