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The city of Kinloch says it ousted Maya Washington in July in part for making "knowingly false" allegations that city officials had misused taxpayer funds. But Washington claims her words were taken out of context so the city could force her out. 

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 26, is the latest development after Kinloch ousted Washington and fellow alderwoman Martha Peebles this summer. The pair had raised public complaints about longtime Mayor Evelyn Carter and her administration, including about Kinloch officials living rent-free in city housing. 

The alderwomen's ousters could have a chilling effect on city officials' right to free speech, said Dave Roland, a senior attorney with the Freedom Center of Missouri, which advocates for open government. 

The First Amendment does not protect knowingly false statements made with the intent to harm someone, but the burden to prove the intent is very high in order to not discourage speech, Roland said. Even then, it shouldn't necessarily result in an elected official being kicked out of office. 

"The courts have done a pretty good job of saying that city council members cannot punish their own members simply because of disagreements over policy or accusations of wrongdoing," Roland said. "Those are exactly the type of things we need public officials to call out if they’re concerned about it, so the public can be aware and look into how officials are exercising the authority voters have given to them." 

Kinloch City Attorney James Robinson declined comment Monday. 

Washington's lawsuit stems from a dispute that began after Washington and Peebles were elected in April 2025. The two alderwomen won write-in campaigns that unseated Robert Carter — the mayor's son — and longtime alderwoman Pauline Durham.

The alderwomen said in several statements, including to the Post-Dispatch and Fox 2, that Carter's administration refused to share budget details and called meetings without them.

Washington and Peebles also called attention to Carter, City Manager Justine Blue and her husband, John, an assistant to the mayor, and two other aldermen for living rent-free in city-owned and renovated apartments since at least 2024.

They filed complaints to the Missouri Ethics Commission alleging the arrangement violated conflict of interest policies. The commission dismissed the complaint in January after finding Kinloch aldermen had previously authorized the practice in a 2012 resolution.

Kinloch later sent both aldermen notices it had declared their offices "void." The two alderwomen sued, saying officials could not unilaterally kick them out of office. Missouri law allows for the removal of elected office holders only by a court of law, a public recall vote or a vote of impeachment by the city's legislative body.

In July, Kinloch aldermen voted 3-0 to impeach Washington. Carter, mayor, abstained from the vote, and Washington and Peebles did not get a vote. 

The city said a judge overseeing the impeachment hearing ruled Washington made "materially false" accusations against city officials, failed to attend three meetings called specifically to investigate her allegations and gave inconsistent sworn testimony, amounting to actions "injurious to democratic governance." 

The city cited in particular two statements Washington had made to Fox 2 and the Post-Dispatch that it said were false.

Washington told Fox 2 she had been "denied basic budget answers for months," but the city countered that she had received "some" financial documents during a training.

And the city cited a Post-Dispatch story on Washington's complaint about Kinloch officials living rent-free in city housing. The story described the complaint as an instance of city leaders "misusing public funds." 

Washington claimed she never described the housing issue in those exact words.

She also claimed her hearing was heavily biased.  

Robinson, the city attorney, served as prosecutor while advising the city on its impeachment process. The city's sole witness was John Blue, the city manager's husband and mayor's assistant. And the judge who presided over the hearing was an attorney who had been hired for the job by the city.

"She did not get a fair hearing," Jimerson, Washington's attorney said. 

In ousting Peebles, the city claimed she "was never legally qualified to hold office" because she served as a treasurer for Kinloch Fire Protection District when she was elected alderwoman, violating state law barring officials from holding two separate elected offices. Directors of fire protection districts, which are separate political entities from city governments, are typically elected by voters. 

Peebles said she quit her fire district office after she was elected an alderwoman. She said the city hasn't held a public meeting in over a year to avoid her and Washington attending. 

"I’m still an alder until a judge officially removes me from my seat," Peebles said in a recent interview. "We're not going to give up." 

Peebles also has an ongoing lawsuit against Kinloch.