Last year Fulton County Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman made activist Ronnie Shakir a board member at the Housing Authority of Fulton County last year. On Wednesday, Abdur-Rahman will seek to boot Shakir off the board after housing authority staff and board members requested his removal for allegedly being a disruptive influence.
Abdur-Rahman will nominate former East Point Mayor Earnestine Pittman to replace Shakir.
If approved, Pittman would serve out the rest of Shakir’s term, which ends in July 2027. Shakir said Monday his removal is not voluntary, adding that he received several calls from Abdur-Rahman’s office since Friday asking him to resign. Shakir said he was not aware there is a move afoot to unilaterally replace him.
Shakir questioned the removal and replacement process and said he hopes the county will hold its action so those procedures can be thoroughly explored.
Housing authority board members and senior staff — all except Shakir — turned out at the Nov. 15 County Commission meeting and requested Shakir’s removal. Led by housing authority chairman Antavius Weems, they said Shakir is so disruptive the board can’t have orderly meetings and has had to bring in security. They also accused him of sexually harassing a female staff member, leaving the housing authority open to potential lawsuits.
Weems said Monday that he is aware of Abdur-Rahman’s proposal to replace Shakir but had no input on it.
“We’re just looking forward to getting back to work doing the county’s business,” Weems said.
Created by the county in 1972, the housing authority is governed by a nine-member board. Shakir, who ran unsuccessfully for an Atlanta City Council seat in 2021, was appointed early in 2023.
Each county commissioner can appoint one of the housing board’s seven regular members, while the commission as a whole appoints two resident members. Regular members serve five-year terms while resident members serve for two years.
Pittman, a retired Atlanta Public Schools math teacher, served as mayor of East Point from 2010-13. Her term was often controversial, including disputes with council members and an ethics finding against her on several counts. She lost a bid to reclaim a seat on the East Point City Council in 2023.
Commissioners didn’t take action that day, opting to wait for a recommendation from County Attorney Y. Soo Jo. That report has been sent to commissioners but the county has declined to release it publicly, citing attorney-client privilege.
Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. proposed disbanding the housing authority altogether. His resolution to do so is also on Wednesday’s agenda; commissioners didn’t get to it or several other items during two previous meetings.
But Arrington said his resolution was essentially “in jest,” an effort to prod some sort of action on Shakir from fellow commissioners.
Shakir adamantly denies all accusations against him, including that he has been disruptive or that he has acted inappropriately with female staff.
“None of those allegations can be proven. It’s just untrue,” Shakir said. “That’s not who I am, I’ve never been that kind of person.”
Instead he said Weems created a “bully atmosphere” in meetings to silence Shakir and others, then orchestrated a campaign to damage his reputation when that didn’t work.
At the second board meeting Shakir attended, he said Weems pointed out security officers.
“You see those officers back there? We’ve heard about you. And if you come in here and cause any disruption, we’re going to lock you up,” Shakir quoted Weems as saying.
Shakir says he is disliked on the board because of frequently advocating for expanded public housing to replace what has been torn down, especially in light of high Atlanta-area rent and spiraling house prices.
In the last 30 years, Atlanta has demolished more than two dozen public housing complexes. Some were replaced by mixed-income communities, some sites left vacant, some converted to privately-owned Section 8 housing.
“I was saddened when public housing was demolished,” Shakir said. “We should provide housing for people who don’t have no income, or who have handicaps, or are unable to find work.”
Abdur-Rahman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A letter from Andrew Patterson, general counsel for the housing authority, to Commission Chair Robb Pitts details allegations against Shakir and asks for his removal due to “inefficiency and misconduct in office.”
The letter said female employees at the housing authority have complained about Shakir’s remarks, and allege he photographed them without consent. Shakir has frequently interrupted discussion and started arguments, and was actually removed after one meeting by police because he refused to accept that it was over, according to the letter.
At a July 20 hearing, retired Superior Court Judge Thelma Moore concluded Shakir should be removed. At that hearing, Weems testified Shakir constantly interrupts meetings and insults him: “I was a monkey. I was stupid. I was dumb. I was silly.” He also accused Shakir of recording discussions in executive session.
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