Henderson city leaders “will not be intimidated, distracted or derailed” after Councilwoman Carrie Cox filed a lawsuit alleging battery by another City Council member, Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero said in a social media post.
In a post to her personal Facebook account on Sunday, the mayor said she and others on the council have been the target of “unsubstantiated, untrue, malicious and defamatory” rumors she said have been circulated by Cox.
Cox’s complaint, filed March 4 in District Court, alleges that fellow council member Jim Seebock struck her in the arm multiple times prior to the March 5, 2024, Henderson City Council meeting because Cox refused to support his bid to become mayor pro tem.
Seebock has denied hitting Cox, and, like Romero in her post on Sunday, has said Cox was attempting to distract voters from her other legal woes as the embattled Cox faces re-election.
“In an effort to maintain decorum and minimize chaos, members of the council have dealt with this abhorrent behavior behind the scenes to the greatest extent possible,” wrote Romero, who is also seeking re-election. “The timing of these claims can’t be ignored.”
Residents deserve better, mayor says
Romero’s post continued: “We will not be intimidated, distracted or derailed. Henderson residents deserve better than someone who manufactures controversy whenever scrutiny turns to her own behavior. Please remember this on June 9 and vote accordingly.”
Cox was indicted in November on a count of monitoring or attempting to monitor a private conversation and is accused of hiding behind a curtain to record a conversation between Councilwoman Monica Larson and others at Henderson City Hall in January 2025. Last month, a judge refused to throw out the charge against Cox, and court records show a trial is set to begin in October.
Cox on Tuesday did not immediately return a phone call or text message seeking comment regarding Romero’s post. Ravi Chanderraj, who is representing Cox in the lawsuit, called Romero’s post “disappointing but unsurprising” in a statement.
“The Mayor’s latest comments about Councilwoman Cox are disappointing but unsurprising,” Chanderraj said in an email. “The councilwoman is pursuing justice, not spreading rumors. We look forward to presenting her case in court.”
Romero declined to comment.
Other council members have endorsed Cox’s challenger
Romero, Seebock, Larson and Councilman Dan Stewart have each endorsed one of Cox’s electoral challengers, Annette Dawson Owens, an education advocate who was appointed to the Nevada State Board of Education by Gov. Joe Lombardo last February.
A Metropolitan Police Department investigative report that led to Cox’s indictment highlighted other uncharged allegations, which Romero referred to in her post on Sunday, though Cox has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Cox was also unanimously censured by her Henderson City Council colleagues following her indictment.
As part of that City Council meeting to censure Cox, a Dec. 30, 2024, memo from the city’s human resources department reporting Cox was gossiping that Seebock had struck her was included as with the agenda materials. Seebock, according to that memo, denied hitting Cox.
The memo notes that no witnesses saw the incident and no video footage is available.
The city’s memo further states Cox attempted to clarify details surrounding the alleged battery to former City Manager Richard Derrick in December 2024. That memo also outlined at least two attempts by city officials investigate the incident, which Cox reportedly declined.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com, or follow him on X, @Casey_Harrison1.
