SAN ANTONIO – This story has been updated to reflect City Manager Erik Walsh’s comments after the original publication
Information recently uncovered by KSAT about the head of the City of San Antonio’s high-profile job training program is raising questions about the city’s vetting and hiring process.
And, so far, top city officials aren’t agreeing to answer those questions on camera.
KSAT has learned Michael Ramsey, the executive director of the city’s Workforce Development Office, was arrested on a misdemeanor prostitution-related activities charge in Florida in April 2021, less than four months before the city announced his selection for the job. The dispositions of the charge are listed on a public records search site as “state closed file diversion” and “administratively nolle prossed,” indicating that the case was dropped and Ramsey was not convicted.
The information relating to the arrest and charge appears to have been expunged from the public record, but his mugshot was included in part of a high-profile news release and press conference by a Tampa-area sheriff. The photo and booking information are also still easily found through a Google search of his full name and “Florida.”
Federal court records also show Ramsey, who manages the city’s $200 million job training program, San Antonio Ready to Work, filed for personal bankruptcy in 2008.
“No criminal record”
The City of San Antonio did not make City Manager Erik Walsh or other city officials available to interview about the city’s vetting process or the choice of Ramsey for the job.
Spokeswoman Alanna Reed first asked if KSAT would share the uncovered records. After KSAT refused, she emailed a statement saying, in part, that Ramsey was “appropriately processed” through the city’s pre-employment background procedures.
“At the time of hire, Workforce Development Executive Director Michael Ramsey’s background check indicated that he had no criminal history. The City conducted a subsequent criminal background check that validated the absence of any criminal record.
“The City has no record of any arrest or conviction involving Ramsey. In your email, you ask that we comment on ‘recently uncovered records’ - without seeing the referenced documents, we are unable to provide comment.
“Also, while the City performs credit checks on applicants, when relevant, Mr. Ramsey’s 2008 bankruptcy would not have disqualified him from consideration.”
Reed later emailed another statement she said was attributable to Ramsey.
After defending his work as the city’s head of workforce development, Ramsey says “I have no criminal record, which has been verified multiple times through the City of San Antonio’s background check process, and I disclosed everything I was required to disclose during the pre-employment process.”
However, he also continues to say “This story being deemed as newsworthy, highlights the challenge that is ever present for many people in our community, particularly people of color, who have had previous justice system involvement. Whether, investigated, charged, or convicted, we must continue to eradicate this bias that presents a barrier to employment for a great multitude of San Antonians.”
After this story originally aired Tuesday night, KSAT tried ahead of a Wednesday council meeting to get Walsh to answer questions about the city’s vetting process and selection of Ramsey.
However, the city manager would say only, “We’re confident in our vetting process,” and that the city would make no further comment beyond its original statement.
Sting operation arrest
Ramsey’s mugshot was included in an April 2021 news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office after an 11-day string of sting operations netted 79 arrests ahead of WrestleMania.
Though his individual booking charge was not listed in the release, KSAT found records on a public records search site and two mug shot aggregator sites that showed it was on Apr. 7, 2021, for “unlawful acts related to a public solicitation event.” The charge is listed as a misdemeanor under Hillsborough County ordinances, punishable by up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail.
However, KSAT was unable to obtain official arrest or court records through HCSO, the office of the state’s attorney, the county clerk of court’s office, or a records check site that KSAT reporters typically use, which indicates those records were likely expunged.
KSAT emailed Ramsey and Reed to ask specifically whether the arrest and case records were expunged, but Reed said they had nothing else to add.
It’s not clear when such an expunction may have happened, but Ramsey’s arrest was only 118 days before the city publicly announced his hiring in an Aug. 3, 2021 news release, which said he would start work on Aug. 16.
Records from a separate public records search site, though, indicate the criminal court case may have gone on until mid-July or late August of 2021 before it was apparently dropped.
It is not clear if the arrest and charge would have been enough to derail Ramsey’s hiring had it been found during the city’s checks, and KSAT is not aware of any information indicating he was ever convicted of the charge.
Previous financial trouble
Federal bankruptcy court records out of Florida also showed Ramsey and his wife filed for personal bankruptcy in August 2008 when he was a public high school assistant principal.
The filings show the couple had $188,000 worth of debt, mostly from student loans and educational debt, credit cards, and a car loan.
SA Ready to Work
In his role as the head of Workforce Development, Ramsey leads the city’s voter-approved jobs training program, which opened enrollment in May 2022.
The $200 million program uses sales tax dollars to pay for San Antonio residents to get degrees or certifications in target industries. Voters approved the general idea in November 2020.
The expectations for Ready To Work have shifted over time. Estimates ahead of the election focused on 10,000 people getting training every year of the four-year program, for a total of “up to 40,000″ people served.
But after voters had approved the plan, the city presented a different picture: 39,000 people to be interviewed, 28,000 enrolled in approved training, and 15,600 placed in quality jobs.
In April 2023, the program was falling short of early targets, though supporters, including Ramsey, maintained it would still reach its objectives — just later than expected. The city will collect the 1/8 cent sales tax that funds the program through the end of 2025, though the actual education and training programs could last beyond then.
The city has enrolled 5,810 people in a degree or certification program so far, according to a city dashboard, which indicates many of them are still making their way through their individual programs.
But with a relatively low number of people actually placed into “quality” jobs so far - 446 as of Monday - at least one city councilman has begun to question if the city needs to change its approach.
KSAT is not aware of any accusations of professional misconduct against Ramsey, and he defended his job performance in his statement.
See the full responses from Ramsey and the City of San Antonio below:
Michael Ramsey was appropriately processed through the City of San Antonio’s s pre-employment background procedures. The City performs criminal background checks on all candidates selected for hire. At the time of hire, Workforce Development Executive Director Michael Ramsey’s background check indicated that he had no criminal history. The City conducted a subsequent criminal background check that validated the absence of any criminal record.
The City has no record of any arrest or conviction involving Ramsey. In your email, you ask that we comment on “recently uncovered records” - without seeing the referenced documents, we are unable to provide comment.
Also, while the City performs credit checks on applicants, when relevant, Mr. Ramsey’s 2008 bankruptcy would not have disqualified him from consideration.
Please let us know if you can provide the referenced documents.
Emailed statement from City of San Antonio Spokeswoman Alanna Reed
“I am proud of the work we are doing to bolster the workforce development system in San Antonio. We are helping members of our community seeking to further their education and acquire the skills needed by our local employers. This work will leave a lasting impact on our community for many decades to come. In my role, the feedback I have received from my superiors has indicated a strong level of satisfaction with my performance. I have no criminal record, which has been verified multiple times through the City of San Antonio’s background check process, and I disclosed everything I was required to disclose during the pre-employment process. This story being deemed as newsworthy, highlights the challenge that is ever present for many people in our community, particularly people of color, who have had previous justice system involvement. Whether, investigated, charged, or convicted, we must continue to eradicate this bias that presents a barrier to employment for a great multitude of San Antonians.”
Workforce Development Executive Director Michael Ramsey, emailed by City of San Anotnio Spokeswoman Alanna Reed