THE LETTER
The NAACP letter was written at Mayor Tuerk's request.
Formal Complaint Regarding Conduct of Mayor Matthew Tuerk
Barbara first observed Mayor Tuerk at multiple public events and deliberately avoided interaction amid
growing concerns. On June 9, 2023, the Mayor initiated contact via message, stating: “All good. I feel some
negative energy.” I replied, “What did you do?” and he responded, “I don’t know, you tell me.”
After the June 9 message from Mayor Tuerk, Barbara brought this information to the July 11, 2023,
executive committee meeting and formally presented it to the NAACP Allentown Branch for review and
discussion, following established NAACP protocol. At that meeting, she described the nature and tone of
the Mayor’s messages and expressed concerns about their appropriateness and professionalism, which
marked the official beginning of this matter.[2]
These incidents should be viewed in the larger context of documented community and governance issues,
including City Council’s December 6, 2023, 4–3 vote of no confidence, which cited “ineffective leadership,”
personnel mismanagement, budget concerns, and inadequate community engagement, along with reports
of racial discrimination at City Hall and alleged retaliatory firings.
Committed to upholding the ethical standards outlined in the NAACP Bylaws, Barbara later drafted and
distributed a detailed summary letter explaining the events and their impact on the community to all
relevant parties, in full compliance with NAACP protocol. The Mayor himself instructed her to do so (“you
tell me”), prompting the creation of the letter to promote transparency, accountability, and the protection
of civil rights.[4]
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUjLbYc6JKc
2. https://armchairlehighvalley.substack.com/p/allentown-mayor-faces-challenger
3. https://www.allentownparking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/June-26-2024-Meeting-Minutes.pdf
4. https://6abc.com/post/allentown-pa-city-council-mayor-matt-tuerk/14151381/
Walter Felton
Walt,
Grow up and stop letting others make a fool of you; you look foolish doing it.
Stop lying about people, because when you point the finger, three more point back at you, exposing your own role in this City Hall mess that the community now sees clearly.
Followed protocol Wells fargo bank letter
The Truth About NAACP Protocol and False Claims Against Barbara Redmond
Walter Felton, a former president of the NAACP Allentown Branch who no longer holds that position, spoke at a City Council meeting. There, he made statements critics have called unsubstantiated, raising concerns about the NAACP's equity and accountability at City Hall. Facts are important, and accountability is equally vital.
During his speech, he falsely claimed that Barbara sent a letter to Wells Fargo Bank to remove his name from the NAACP bank account without permission.
That claim is false. I have included an email showing that I followed proper protocol and acted according to the executive committee's instructions, which requested that his name be removed from the account because he had not attended meetings in a year or fulfilled his responsibilities.
I chose not to include all of the supporting documents at this time because additional evidence will be required when this matter advances in a legal setting.
Nevertheless, even this one document represents only a small part of the evidence I possess that directly contradicts his statement, and there is much more that proves his version of events is false.
Despite this, Mr. Felton proceeded without verifying his information and presented unproven allegations to the NAACP at the national level. As a result, I was removed based solely on his word and his relationship with someone at the national office, rather than through a fair and factual review of the record. At the time, my family was experiencing deep devastation, and I was not in a position to fully fight the issue or defend myself as strongly as I should have.
Nevertheless, I have kept detailed documentation. I possess numerous emails, Zoom recordings, and meeting minutes that clearly demonstrate I did not act alone and that I followed the guidance and protocol of the executive committee at every stage. I did not violate the NAACP
Bylaws; instead, I adhered to them carefully and consistently. I am innocent of the accusations against me, and the full truth will come out in due time.
Nevertheless, I have kept detailed documentation. I possess numerous emails, Zoom recordings, and meeting minutes that clearly demonstrate I did not act alone and that I followed the guidance and protocol of the executive protocols at every stage. I did not violate the NAACP y responsible.