Jennings City Council
Still from video of January 23 Jennings City Council meeting.
Late last month an outreach representative from Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush's office was let go from her job a few days after getting into a confrontation with the mayor of Jennings.
Aja Owens, 41, says that she was fired on January 27. Four days prior, Owens was filmed yelling at Mayor Yolanda Austin at a Jennings City Council meeting. Owens is a former Jennings City Council member who is currently running against Austin for mayor.
This leads Owens to believe the termination was politically motivated. When asked if she felt like Austin had pressured the Bush office to fire her, Owens said, “absolutely.”
A spokesperson for Cori Bush said in a statement that the congresswoman's office, "considers internal personnel matters confidential and will not comment publicly on its staffing decisions, except to say that the office values our team deeply and conducts all personnel matters in compliance with the Congressional Accountability Act and applicable House Rules.”
Owens says she wasn't at the meeting as a representative for the congresswoman's office and therefore didn’t violate any congressional rules. She says she is seeking legal representation in regards to the termination.
"I was there in my personal capacity," Owens said. "I never miss a meeting."
The argument at the January 23 city council meeting was about Fairview Village Senior Living, a 50-unit senior living facility that was vacated after a pipe burst over Christmas. The facility has gotten negative press recently for delays that have prevented residents from moving back in.
Many of the facility's residents have been in the Hilton Garden Inn by the airport and receiving help from the Urban League. Owens tells the RFT that she has been delivering food to them as well, in her capacity as a private citizen. She says she's long taken an interest in Fairview Village because it was in her ward when she was a Jennings city councilwoman.
At the council meeting, Owens says that the mayor told those assembled that the Urban League would no longer be assisting the residents because Owens had told them not to.
"She slandered my name, which is why I stood up to defend myself," Owens says.
The RFT reached out to Austin via email but has not heard back.
A video clip from the city council meeting obtained by the RFT via a Sunshine Law request seemed to begin mid-meeting as Austin said, "Aja Owens from the United States Representative office of Cori Bush came in and said from this day forward she would be taking care of–"
At this point, Owens stood up and began shouting at Austin.
"Change what you said," she said, as she approached the front of the room. "You will never lie on me," she shouted. "That was a lie and you need to correct it."
Owens stepped onto the dais where the mayor and council members were seated as she continued to accuse the mayor of lying.
According to Owens, the Urban League hasn't stopped helping Fairview Village residents and she never asked them to. Owens said that if Jennings residents thought she told the Urban League to stop helping seniors, it would damage her politically in the race against Austin.
The Urban League confirmed to the RFT that they are committed to helping the seniors displaced from Fairview Village.
Two police officers eventually escorted Owens out of the room. The entire confrontation lasted about 90 seconds.
Owens said that she subsequently received a letter saying that she's banned from city council meetings.
The city council meeting was on a Monday. That Friday, January 27, Owens said she was fired from Bush's office over a Zoom call.
"I'm devastated, disappointed," Owens said. "I'm just shocked."
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