Sedalia mayor calls behavior of former councilman ‘not acceptable’
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Sedalia Mayor Andrew Dawson in a Thursday statement called the behavior of former Ward 1 Councilman Tom Oldham “not acceptable.”
Oldham stepped down from his post on the Sedalia City Council in April after the Pettis County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into Oldham. The city said then that the resignation came after "serious allegations" were leveled against Oldham. Sheriff Brad Anders told ABC 17 News that month that the initial complaint was for harassing a juvenile with "a possible sexual variable."
Prosecutor Tony Farkas told ABC 17 News last week that he decided not to pursue a case against Tom Oldham. Farkas said his office made the decision in mid-August.
A Thursday statement from the city says Dawson had asked Oldham to resign after he “was assured that Pettis County investigators had sufficient information to proceed and that contacting Oldham would not interfere with their case.”
“Although Pettis County prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence, that does not erase the disappointment we all feel in the conduct that came to light,” Dawson was quoted in the release. “The exchange of inappropriate messages, confirmed in investigative reports, has left many frustrated and unsettled, and families are right to feel that way. The behavior was not acceptable. My focus now is on standing with our residents, supporting families, and working together to ensure Sedalia remains a community built on trust, respect, and integrity.”
