News of July 17, 2019
Iowa: Agency Head Sent Tupac Emails, Then Stepped Down
Cookies with “Thug Life” and Tupac quotes to 4,300 employees: How Iowa agency head Jerry Foxhoven drew notice-and had to step down in June 2019.
Jerry Foxhoven celebrated his 65th birthday with cookies that read “Thug Life,” and hosted “Tupac Fridays” with music in the office. During his two years in office as director of the social services agency Iowa Department of Human Services, the 66-year-old regularly sent Tupac lyrics to the staff. In July 2019, the AP news agency evaluated the emails from the U.S. state of Iowa; Billboard and The Source relayed the report on July 17.
Resignation the Day After the Birthday Email
The agency released around 350 pages of emails upon request. At least one employee had complained to lawmakers; others praised the emails. On June 17, a day after a birthday email about Tupac to all 4,300 employees, Governor Kim Reynolds called on him to resign.
No Confirmed Connection to the Emails
No one confirmed whether the resignation was connected to the emails. The governor’s office stated that many factors had played a role; the agency also had other problems.