Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, who is facing accusations of using racist and homophobic slurs, has refused to meet with leaders of several community organizations if former City Councilman Jose Moreno, a prominent and longtime Latino activist, attends. Mayor Aitken stated that Moreno's presence would create an 'unsafe environment' for her.
Moreno, who serves as President of Los Amigos, initiated contact with Mayor Aitken in late September on behalf of multiple community groups. Their purpose was to engage in a dialogue regarding the allegations against the mayor and the impact these claims have had on local residents. In a September 25 email to Aitken, Moreno conveyed that the allegations had "stirred tremendous anxieties in our communities" and that the groups sought conversation before determining any actions.
The organizations involved in the request for dialogue include Los Amigos, the Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD), OC Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance, League of United Latin American Citizens, the Arab American Civic Council, OC Community Congregation Organization, and Chispa.
Mayor Aitken, who is up for reelection next month, responded to the email later on September 25. She welcomed a meeting with the group leaders, denied the allegations against her, but explicitly stated her condition: she would only sit down with the leaders if Moreno was not present. She wrote, "I will not, however, engage with Dr. Moreno as I feel it puts me in an unsafe environment." Aitken also mentioned having reached out to individual leaders by phone.
Moreno expressed difficulty understanding the mayor's stance, noting he had twice endorsed her political campaigns. He stated his hope that her refusal was not merely due to his past public questions about some of her actions, suggesting the Mayor's office should be "bigger than that." He underscored that the meeting's aim was direct communication from the mayor to address community pain.
In a subsequent text message, Mayor Aitken reiterated her desire to meet with community groups to discuss what she termed "ridiculous allegations," describing them as a "well-orchestrated attack before an election." She acknowledged, however, that "people’s feelings haven’t been hurt." Aitken further clarified her refusal to include Moreno, citing a "lack of trust" and stating, "There is no trust there." She added that the leaking of her response to the press reinforced her position, asserting that the community deserves a forum focused on solutions, not a "circus driven by those seeking chaos over connection."
Days after Aitken's initial email, Ivon Peña, the executive director of OCCORD, replied on behalf of the community leaders on September 29. Peña expressed disappointment in the mayor's requirement to exclude Moreno, especially given his decades of work uplifting Latino-Mexican-origin communities. Peña's email stated that Aitken's rationale for Moreno's exclusion "raises serious racial/ethnic and gendered tropes about Latino men," and that the groups were "genuinely disappointed" by her refusal to meet with them as a community.
Peña later stated in an interview that the community leaders did not understand the basis for the mayor's feeling of being unsafe. She emphasized that the groups sought dialogue, not an attack, believing that dialogue leads to accountability. Mayor Aitken responded to Peña's email on September 29, stating she was happy to meet if her restrictions were accepted, and contesting the notion of a "static ‘Latin American gender culture’." She also rejected "reverse sexism" and cautioned against accusations of sexism and racism, asserting that the "movement of Traditional Masculinity" is indefensible.
Peña found the mayor's response and what she described as a "lesson on feminism and sexism" to be particularly disappointing, especially as a woman of color navigating intersections of race and gender. Both Peña and Moreno stressed the critical importance of due process, citing historical instances where the Latino community has been victimized by its absence.
These events unfold as allegations against Mayor Aitken continue to be reviewed. Her chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, filed a claim against the city alleging the mayor used derogatory terms, questioned her perceived sexuality, mocked her faith, and exhibited heavy drinking at city functions. Ballinas also claims her concerns about the mayor's behavior were dismissed by city leadership. While Mayor Aitken has denied using the slurs, she recently admitted to having a drinking problem, attending rehab last year, and experiencing a relapse in June. The city has initiated an independent investigation into the allegations.
