ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Annapolis Mayor Jared Littmann has reversed course on a decision to deny a posthumous ceremonial citation for beloved local activist Phil Ateto.
In a statement given to The Banner, city spokesperson Mitchelle Stephenson said Littmann instructed staffers to issue the citation "as a commitment to placing civic unity and dignity for Annapolis and all residents above all else."
The mayor's sudden shift comes less than 24 hours after dozens of residents turned out to condemn the earlier citation rejection during Monday night's Annapolis City Council meeting.
Patch has reached out for comment.
Philip Omaya Ateto, 48, died in July following a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma, a rare illness that sees cancerous cells build in bone marrow.
Ateto was a longtime activist in Anne Arundel County, calling for police accountability, social and racial justice, and environmental and health care improvements, among other causes.
His activism also touched on Palestine and opposition to the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza.
It was Ateto's work on calling out the Israeli government's actions that was at the root of the citation being denied.
Before a nearly two-hour public commentary period, Mayor Jared Littmann acknowledged during Monday's session that he had rejected the citation request because of comments Ateto made that Littmann characterized as being antisemitic.
"The decision on the ceremonial citation was mine, and it was based on my interactions and conversations with him," Littmann told residents on Monday.
"These ceremonial items carry our names and approving this citation would have felt inauthentic given my interactions with him."
"His language felt like an attack over religion, and he crossed the line from advocacy for his position over to antisemitism," the Annapolis mayor said.
Littmann did not specify which of Ateto's statements informed his decision or when they were made. Instead, he said that his offer to meet with residents requesting the citation still stood.
Multiple residents touched on the county-level citation approved by County Executive Steuart Pittman, as others underscored Ateto's criticism of the Israeli government should not be equated with antisemitism.
6th District County Councilmember Lisa Rodvien was among one of the first speakers.
"We have to be careful to separate Israel from Jewish people," Rodvien said. "Despising what is happening in Israel does not mean despising Jewish people."
"Look at how much he meant ... he fought for us," she said.
Steve Waddy, the president of the Anne Arundel County branch of the NAACP, remarked during the Monday session that denying the citation only stokes more division within the community.
"It's cruel," Waddy said at the time. "Denying honor to a man who died too soon is not how we heal division. It creates more outrage and division."
Amy Cruice, a senior paralegal with the ACLU of Maryland, filed a request through the Maryland Public Information Act to obtain information about citations granted since Littmann came into office in December 2025.
Cruice specifically sought information about how many citations were approved, denied and the basis for any rejections.
Her effort, however, hit a dead end after the request was written off as being too broad. "We deserve to know why, exactly why Phil was denied a citation," she told the council.
Rev. Stephen Tillett, a longtime activist and pastor of the Asbury Broadneck United Methodist Church, underscored that elected officials must set aside their own personal disagreements when it comes to decision-making.
"Look past whatever sense of offense you might be feeling," he said.
Toward the end of Monday's session, the discussion proved particularly heated after commentary from Liz and Michael Glass, both of whom were in support of Littmann's initial decision. While Liz said Ateto referred to her as a "genocidal freak," Michael said he was a "proud Zionist" who felt Ateto "deepened divisions."
Just two aldermen, Robert Savidge and Keanuú Smith-Brown, spoke out after remarks came to a close and highlighted the need for the citation process to be improved.
Savidge said the City Council had not been officially informed of Littmann's citation denial, adding that he only learned of the development while at a memorial for Ateto.
"We do need to fix this process," he said. "It is not right that one person should decide."
Similarly, Smith-Brown pledged to make the process more transparent and to ensure that residents "have a seat at the table."
Former Annapolis alderman DaJuan Gay said during public remarks that the previous citation process was "simple" during his time on the City Council, blaming the shift on Littmann having "no decency."
Current citation forms solely state that requests may be denied by the mayor's office "at the discretion of the Office of Communications."
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