Several Highland Heights City Council members asked Jesse Hockenbury to voluntarily remove himself from future meetings after his arrest on misdemeanor sexual abuse charges earlier this year.
The request was made at Tuesday’s city council meeting, with councilmember Hockenbury cited as posing a potential conflict of interest in any decisions related to the police department.
Hockenbury, who was elected to the Highland Heights City Council in November 2024 and is a working attorney in the area, was arrested in February on charges of sexual abuse in the third degree.
Prior to passing an ordinance for the 2027 budget and the amended 2026 budget, Councilmember Rene Heinrich proposed that Hockenbury be removed from the meeting during discussions of the city’s budget.
“Our budget discussion involves the police department, and Jesse is currently at odds with the police department, so I am asking if he is willing to abstain from that discussion because there is at minimum a conflict of interest,” Heinrich said.
According to the Highland Heights Police Department, police began investigating the 32-year-old in January after a woman reported unwanted sexual conduct and inappropriate comments earlier that day from Hockenbury, who at the time was her attorney. After their investigation, police arrested Hockenbury on Feb. 1.
Following councilmember Hockenbury’s voluntary exit from the room and the passage of both ordinances, Hockenbury returned to the meeting, where his presence at future council meetings was noted.
“I 100% believe in innocent until proven guilty,” Heinrich said. “On another hand, a sexual misconduct charge for a council person is something that needs to be taken seriously. I would like to ask Jesse to not participate in council until his criminal case is finished, voluntarily.”
Councilmember Hockenbury responded by affirming his support for law enforcement and stating that he remains committed to reviewing and voting on issues in the best interests of citizens.
“It would be something that I would at least need to consider,” Hockenbury said.
Several other council members echoed Councilmember Heinrich’s request, highlighting a potential conflict of interest and the call for Hockenbury’s voluntary cessation of participation in city council meetings.
In Kentucky, a sitting city council member can only be removed through a formal hearing in cases of misconduct, incapacity, or willful neglect. Heinrich said that due to the prematurity of the case, a full public hearing remains unnecessary at this time.
Hockenbury’s latest court appearance was scheduled for Monday, June 1, but has been pushed back to a later date.
