Indy council Democrats booted Jesse Brown because he's a terrible co-worker

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13-02-2025

Mayor Joe Hogsett's budget address to the City-County Council last year was one of the most dramatic government meetings I've covered.
Lauren Roberts and Caroline Ellert, who said they had been subject to sexual harassment under the mayor's employ, attended the meeting. Their presence prompted Hogsett to publicly apologize for his failures to keep employees safe and promise change. The emotionally charged moment illustrated the power of speaking up and telling your story.
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And then there were members of the audience co-opting that story by holding signs linking sexual harassment in Indianapolis to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The protesters, who were calling for the city to pass a special resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, would later disrupt the meeting and force a recess while law enforcement cleared them from the council chamber.
Council Democrat Jesse Brown might not have directed the protesters' actions during that Aug. 12 meeting. But they were his people, acting out on his Gaza fixation, which would go on for weeks to divide council Democrats and cause more disruptions over an issue that had nothing to do with city government. The council in November removed Brown's proposed ceasefire resolution from an agenda after councilors couldn't agree on the language — a move that prompted more outbursts from protesters.
This is an example of why Brown is no longer part of the council's Democratic caucus. He is a terrible co-worker who constantly makes other Democrats' jobs harder for no good reason.
Brown is an east-side Democrat who identifies as a democratic socialist and is a prolific poster on social media. He joined the council by defeating former Vice President Zach Adamson in 2023, a truly impressive primary win in a safe Democratic district.
Democrats considered booting Brown from their caucus almost immediately after he took office last year, but finally expelled him this month. Brown's exit from the caucus means he can't attend Democrats-only meetings where they collaborate on strategy and policy. He can otherwise continue to fully participate as a council member.
Brown says council Democrats didn't give him a reason for the expulsion. That might be because there are too many reasons to name.
Since joining the council, Brown has gone into business for himself. He went on a political crusade last year against state Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, during sensitive negotiations to save the Blue Line. Then he cast aspersions on a compromise that preserved the bus rapid transit line, suggesting Democrats gave too much ground to Republicans (they didn't).
Brown called for Hogsett to resign as mayor over the sexual harassment scandal, putting himself out on a limb where he remains alone several months later.
He has attacked others, too, most recently going after "so-called Democrats," as he put it in a recent newsletter, for supporting charter schools as the Indiana General Assembly considers multiple bills to either weaken or dismantle Indianapolis Public Schools. Most other council Democrats (but not all) see a need to accommodate charter schools in Indianapolis and are trying to reach a compromise that causes minimal damage to IPS. Some view Brown's anti-charter barrage as counterproductive to saving IPS.
As you can see, Brown takes far-left positions. But his problem isn't political views. It's that he constantly chooses to operate on an island without regard for how his words or actions affect others — while also positioning himself as a lone truth-teller in a political party full of corrupt establishment cronies.
Council Democrats finally gave Brown what he seemed to want: a one-person caucus of his own. Yet, suddenly, Brown professes to want to be part of the team. He's urging supporters to "resist this disenfranchisement of the people of District 13" and plans to participate in a March 3 "march on city hall" to protest being kicked out of caucus meetings.
Brown repeatedly acted alone and now he's complaining about being marginalized. He can't have it both ways.
Brown is the classic colleague who thinks he's always right and everyone else is always wrong. No one likes working with that person.
Brown wrote a column last year for IndyStar arguing that "Democrats need to welcome outsiders to the table warmly and gratefully rather than keeping them at arms' length." Brown's actions suggest he takes that to mean the Democratic Party must bend to his outsider's approach while he attacks peers who favor different policies or strategies.
Brown is not the only free-thinking Democrat in Indianapolis. Jared Evans, a west-side council Democrat, has repeatedly infuriated council colleagues and the mayor's office with his own independent streak. Yet, he has remained a Democrat in good standing for his entire nine years on the council.
What's different with Brown?
Brown pursued a path of maximum hostility toward friend and foe alike. He has neither fit in with the establishment nor done the hard work of persuading Democrats to move toward him. He has caused constant distractions and headaches for Democrats, while giving legislative Republicans an easy left-wing target.
Politics aside, Brown's relationship with other Democrats amounted to a simple workplace drama that had run its course. The council's Democratic caucus did what organizations do every day: identified a self-absorbed teammate who didn't want to work with others and wished him well in future endeavors.
Now, council Democrats don't have to deal with Brown in caucus meetings and he's getting a march in his honor, the kind of dopamine-driven reward he seems to crave. This workplace conflict is ending with a win-win resolution.
Contact James Briggs at 317-444-4732 or [e-mail]. Follow him on X and Threads at @JamesEBriggs.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jesse Brown's exit from council caucus is a workplace drama | Opinion