Art Acevedo Declines Austin Assistant City Manager Position, Raises Concerns for Sexual Assault Survivors

Art Acevedo has withdrawn from a $271,000-a-year administrative job offer to oversee policing in Austin after facing backlash from City Council members, community activists, and elected officials. Concerns were raised about his oversight of a police department with a backlog of untested rape kits, and his appointment was criticized as a step backward for survivors of sexual assault. The announcement also comes just before the city is set to make a formal apology to plaintiffs in lawsuits related to the handling of sexual assault complaints.