A petition to recall a McKinney City Council member is circulating after being filed with the city secretary’s office on Nov. 20, according to city officials.

The petition asks for the recall of District 1 representative La’Shadion Shemwell.

Shemwell has been at the forefront of several controversial discussions during recent City Council meetings, most notably those on Oct. 15 and Nov. 5, where the topic of racial inequality was predominantly the focus during public comments.

The petition states that Shemwell has not upheld his oath to office, has violated the city charter and has disregarded the city’s ethics code. The petition also states that he has made inflammatory statements about the city and been arrested on multiple occasions while serving as a council member.

Shemwell could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to the city, the petition must be returned by Jan. 4 with at least 2,127 signatures of registered McKinney voters to prompt a recall election. This number is determined by how many residents voted in the last general election.

The petition has already started to circulate. Efforts related to the recall petition are being posted on a Facebook page called Recall Shemwell.

In May, voters passed two charter amendments that ultimately made triggering recall elections easier for citizens.

According to these charters, residents have 45 days to turn in signatures to the city secretary. The amendment also requires signatures from at least 30% of voters who cast ballots in the last regular municipal election.

If the petition is returned to the city with enough valid signatures by the deadline, the city will give Shemwell the opportunity to step down from his position. If he chooses not to, the City Council must vote to add the proposed recall to the next general election ballot on May 2.