Days after raising a Pride flag at City Hall, the City of Lockport has hired the former Niagara Falls Department of Public Works director who was criticized earlier this year for posting a video to social media in which he called for the “exposure” of all hom*osexuals, liars and those who would live contrary to God’s word.
Mayor John Lombardi’s administration hired the Rev. Anthony Feagin on Monday. He had resigned last month from his post as DPW director in the Falls. In his new role in Lockport city government, Feagin will serve as project manager, a position within the engineering department. Mary Pat Filbert, city personnel director, said Feagin will be filling the duties of former city engineer Steve Pump, albeit with a different title if it and the position’s description and responsibilities are approved by the Common Council at its next meeting on June 26. Feagin holds a bachelor’s in engineering, which is all that the city engineer position requires, Filbert said. She also believed that Feagin would be paid less than Pump because Pump had more qualifications.
Lombardi said that Feagin’s intended position is being created to reduce “duplication” of work and that the former Falls director of public works was “over-qualified” for this position.
“I believe I’ve made a good hire, I saved us some money. I’ve got a man here who will make a big difference to help Clayton Dimmick (the city’s director of highways, parks and water distribution) when we need it,” Lombardi said, adding that the position is needed because there are many projects in the city that he said, “I need someone in charge of.”
Lombardi said he did not know of Feagin’s controversial comments, but that any opined comments, “have nothing to do with his experience and qualifications.”
Feagin, who serves as a bishop in a local church, stepped down from his post as Falls DPW director in the wake of criticism he received for comments he made about LGBTQ individuals in a video posted to Facebook in March. In the video, Feagin warned of an “exposure” that he said was coming to the “House of God” that would “expose all the hom*osexuals, all the liars and everyone who would be contrary to His word.”
In the video, Feagin also predicted that 2024 would be a “year of exposure” for “those who continue to hide,” lie and continue to cover up the “hom*osexual acts” of “husbands, pastors, teachers, prophets, evangelists, apostles, bishops, archbishops, chief apostles and even the Pope.” Feagin encouraged viewers of the video to “get their house in order,” suggesting that when the “exposure” comes it’s going to “shake the very foundation underneath your feet.”
Falls Mayor Robert Restaino told the newspaper the video and its contents played no role in Feagin’s decision to step down. It did, however, lead to a push by at least one councilman — Chairman Jim Perry — for approval of a resolution condemning the social media post and its contents. While his fellow council members declined to support the proposed resolution, Perry argued that the comments contained in the video were not acceptable for a department head working in Falls city government.
Lockport Second Ward Alderman Anita Mullane said this week she saw the video Feagin posted online and found his comments to be “disturbing.” While she said she’s all in favor of giving people second chances, Mullane questioned why the city would take a chance in this case.
“I have never met him and I’m not going to pre-judge him without having met him, but I’d prefer to see that we stay clear of things like this when we have other major issues we need to deal with,” she said.
The common council vote will be held on the same day that Feagin’s title and position are reviewed by the Civil Service Commission. Upon both boards’ approval, Feagin’s job will be organized into its proper collective bargaining unit, which Filbert said would likely be in the Department Head’s Union.
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