Stand with Sonya: Defend Civil Service Integrity

The Missouri State Conference of the NAACP has established a legal defense fund on my behalf, with proceeds being directed to Lewis Rice Attorneys at Law in St. Louis. This is about protecting historic progress in a city where I serve as the first woman and first African American in this role in 80 years. I am reluctant to ask for donations, knowing these are hard times for most.

The Missouri State Conference of the NAACP has established a legal defense fund on my behalf, with proceeds being directed to Lewis Rice Attorneys at Law in St. Louis. This is about protecting historic progress in a city where I serve as the first woman and first African American in this role in 80 years. I am reluctant to ask for donations, knowing these are hard times for most.

I am seeking your support to protect my civil service position with the City of St. Louis, a position I have held with pride and dedication. Let me address the situation directly: I have been accused of misusing a city vehicle, for which I have already acknowledged responsibility and immediately paid restitution when the issue was raised. Before this trip, I specifically asked my Chief of Staff if the city car could be used for personal use, and he confirmed it was acceptable. He regularly reserves vehicles for himself and has far more experience than I do with city vehicle use. However, the severity of the proposed punishment—termination—is completely unprecedented. In the history of St. Louis, none of the previous three Directors of Personnel have ever faced disciplinary action, let alone termination. Moreover, numerous cases of personal city vehicle use have occurred without disciplinary consequences of any kind.

The administration has attempted to force my resignation by threatening a public hearing. What began as a straightforward matter has been twisted into a sensationalized narrative that grossly mischaracterizes both my actions and intentions. To be absolutely clear: the allegation that I drove 130 miles to investigate suspected infidelity is false. During the trip in question, my Chief of Staff voluntarily accompanied me after I asked if he could ride with me so we could work, and we conducted legitimate business throughout our travel time. I ask you - what woman, if she were traveling to catch her spouse cheating, would spend the entire two-hour trip working? The absurdity of this allegation only underscores the manufactured nature of the charges against me.

As a civil servant, I lack the financial resources to combat this politically motivated attack. However, I cannot and will not resign. To do so would be to accept a false narrative and potentially set a dangerous precedent for future public servants who might face similar politically motivated challenges. My role is meant to be independent precisely to prevent political interference in personnel decisions that affect thousands of city employees.

St. Louis is my chosen home, and throughout my tenure, I have worked to modernize our civil service system, ensure fair hiring practices, and protect employees from political pressure. These efforts to maintain the integrity of our personnel system appear to have made me a target of those who would prefer a system they can control. This fight extends beyond my personal circumstances—it represents a stand against the misuse of political power to target public servants who challenge the status quo.

You may wonder, with all the devastation in the world, why donate to this cause? I reach out to you because this type of devastation happens every day to common people like myself. Too often, dedicated workers must accept unjust treatment simply because they lack the resources to fight back. This case exemplifies how political power can be misused to silence those who stand up for the independence of civil service and the protection of city workers from political interference.

Your support through the NAACP legal defense fund will help ensure that justice prevails, not just for me, but for all workers who face similar challenges. This is about protecting the integrity of public service and proving that even those without wealth or political connections can stand up to injustice. Together, we can show that having a target on your back doesn't mean you have to accept defeat. More importantly, we can help preserve the independence of civil service positions that protect the rights of all city employees.

With sincere appreciation for your support,

Sonya Jenkins-Gray