Jackson's Kenneth Stokes uses sexist slur for woman, stalling meeting
Jackson City Council members considered an ordinance to repeal the city’s data center moratorium amid strong resident opposition and concerns about noise, neighborhood impacts and unfinished regulations. The meeting was derailed by Councilman Kenneth Stokes’ confrontation with a woman and later postponed, while a separate rezoning request by Saxum Investment Group remains stalled.
The Jackson City Council was considering whether to repeal the city’s data center moratorium as residents questioned the wisdom of lifting the pause before regulations governing the facilities were complete. Opponents raised concerns about continuous noise, limited economic benefits and effects on nearby neighborhoods, while Councilman Kenneth Stokes argued that data center investment could provide money for infrastructure and disadvantaged areas.
The meeting was interrupted after Stokes used a sexist slur against a woman who criticized him, prompting calls for his removal and a 4-3 vote to recess. The meeting was later rescheduled. Saxum Investment Group’s earlier request to rezone property along Forest Avenue near Interstate 220 for a potential data center has not advanced after its hearing was postponed.