A city councilor in Northampton, Massachusetts, was recently reprimanded or censured by the majority of her fellow councilors. The action was related to her behavior on a late night phone call with city non-emergency dispatch operators.
But Northampton City Councilor Quaverly Rothenberg said she was taking care of her constituents.
"Most concerning to me," Rothenberg, told NEPM, "nobody is talking about the emergency response failure that evening."
The evening Rothenberg refers to was Feb. 18, 2025. A multi-day winter storm event was underway that had brought snow, rain and then freezing temperatures.
Rothenberg called a city public safety line, initially to inquire about whether the Northampton Department of Public Works would be coming to her neighborhood with sand or salt for the roads. Linden Street was dangerously icy Rothenberg told the dispatch operator. Rothenberg later said she thought the road should be shut down.
The dispatch operator told her they didn't know the DPW's plans and they could not, as Rothenberg requested, give her an on-call emergency number for DPW.
One dispatch operator and then a second offered to alert DPW about the icy conditions. During an almost 18 minute phone call, they also offered Rothenberg DPW staff extension numbers.
Rothenberg asked several times for the direct line of the on-call DPW employee. She was told each time that they were not permitted to give her that number.
"What protocol do you think makes it not possible for you to share the emergency number with me," Rothenberg asked the dispatch operator.
"Mam, it's just per protocol," the operator responded.
"The city council outranks the mayor, so I'm confused about this," Rothenberg said.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association describes a mayor as the highest ranking official in a city government, but Rothenberg defended what she said to the dispatch operator about Northampton's governmental structure
"What the charter tells us is that the city council has the obligation to ensure that we are complying with all of our duties required by law as a city," Rothenberg said, "and one of those duties is to not be negligent if there is going to be a dangerous situation. The mayor doesn't have that obligation. Only the city council has that," Rothenberg said.
Violation of city charter or a need for services?
Rothenberg's fellow councilors largely agree that her communications with city employees that night in February violated portions of the city charter.
During a March 12, 2025, special meeting of the group, Northampton City Council President Alex Jarrett read from the resolution.
The language used refers to sections of the city charter, including Section 2-3(b) that states “No city council or any member of the city council shall give orders or directions to any employee of the city appointed by the mayor, either publicly or privately.”
The censure went on to describe that Rothenberg's behavior also "potentially violated Massachusetts rules and laws governing the ethical conduct of public officials, harassed city employees, and generally behaved in a manner unbecoming to a city councilor," according to the censure.
But her behavior, according to the resolution, was also just out of line.
Unsubstantiated rumors
During the Feb. 18 phone call, the dispatch operator said to Rothenberg "Donna is in charge of the DPW and you could possibly try to get in contact with her," referring to Donna LaScaleia.
Rothenberg then said, incorrectly, " I have heard that Donna put in her resignation today. I'm trying to reach whoever is on call right now."
This — and Rothenberg's comment that the council had more power than the mayor — was also referenced in the city council's censure of Rothenberg.
At the request of the city council the DPW's LaScaleia sent them a letter detailing her account of the phone call and its impact.
She said at best Rothenberg was repeating "a completely baseless rumor to my coworkers in Dispatch, and at worst, she was establishing the rumor. But, it was unfounded and untrue, a direct attack on my professionalism and commitment to the city in the midst of a severe weather event, personally offensive and profoundly disrespectful."
Rothenberg told NEPM, she had heard that LaScaleia left, from a "reliable source."
"Not that it was confirmed enough to make public announcements," Rothenberg said, "but in the context where a dispatcher is appointing me as the person to make calls [to DPW extensions], it seemed relevant to let him know that I didn't think that was a person that might be answering the phone that night."
Public shaming or just public
The March 12 censure meeting was on zoom and made available to the public.
At the start Rothenberg recused herself, and it appeared several councilors didn't understand why Rothenberg thought this was necessary.
Rothenberg told NEPM she thinks it is important for the public to know all the details of the phone call with city services and the special meeting of the city council.
"I think [it's] very helpful for the public," Rothenberg said — questioning the city councilors.
"My interests are going to stay still with Ward 3, and I'm still going to have to go into those [city council] meetings and be disappointed when it seems like my colleagues interests are elsewhere."
The vote to censure Rothenberg was 7 to 1. Councilor Jeremy Dubs was the only no vote.
"I'm mainly disagreeing with the process," he said at the meeting. " I listened to everybody and weighed everything and in good conscience I don't feel right coming together as a council to publicly shame an openly autistic counselor."
(At past meetings Rothenberg told NEPM she mentioned she is autistic, in the context of advocating for adequate funding for public school services for autistic students; at another meeting she asked for accommodations regarding a public comment period.)
Council Vice-President Rachel Maorie, who voted in favor of the censure, said going forward the city council needs to think about another way of dealing with issues like this. She suggested conflict-resolution or restorative justice practices, so the council could model some other structure to the larger community.
"Whether Councilor Rothenberg recused herself or not ... showing up to this [March 12th meeting], that's a lot to ask," Maorie said. "It is unfortunate because I think if we had a different format and we could actually hear what she had to say and most importantly hear an apology to the inadvertent harm or whatever kind of harm was done, that would be important."
After the vote, the resolution to censure Rothenberg was delivered to Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, DPW Director LaScaleia and to the Public Safety Dispatch Director Kelly Schuetze.
There is no penalty that comes with the censure.
"The censure resolution is just a way for Council to register disapproval of a Councilor’s conduct or behavior," Maorie said in an email.
On Facebook and elsewhere, many of Rothenberg's constituents are thanking her — and applauding her actions as their city councilor.
