Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken has for the first time explicitly denied allegations that she called her Chief of Staff Berenice Ballinas a racial slur and repeatedly commented on Ballinas' perceived sexuality. The Mayor issued a statement on Facebook Thursday evening, marking an expansion of earlier brief responses.
In her Thursday statement, Mayor Aitken affirmed that the allegations were serious and deserved investigation, adding, "I did not use the racial slur attributed to me." She also stated she has always championed the LGBTQ community. Mayor Aitken noted that Ballinas remains a city employee and, due to the nature of the ongoing personnel matter, there are strict limits on what she can responsibly discuss publicly. Mayor Aitken reiterated her commitment to cooperating with the ongoing investigation and expressed care for Ballinas, also stating her belief that she is entitled to have the serious allegations evaluated on evidence.
An investigation into the allegations against Mayor Aitken is currently underway. Councilwoman Natalie Meeks called for this process a day after a local report detailed a confidential mediation letter sent to the city on behalf of Ballinas. This letter reportedly outlined alleged harassment by Mayor Aitken and former City Manager Jim Vanderpool.
City Spokesman Mike Lyster confirmed the investigation in a Friday morning email, stating that a process was underway that would involve a full, fair, and independent evaluation of the concerns. He added that the city wished to respect all involved and had no additional updates to share at this time. Lyster did not answer specific questions regarding the exact nature of the investigation process, who would be conducting it, its expected duration, or whether the results would be made public.
The confidential mediation letter detailing the allegations against Aitken and Vanderpool has not yet been publicly released by the city. First Amendment advocates have argued that this document should be publicly accessible under state law, drawing comparisons to claims made against the government. Lawrence Lennemann, attorney for Ballinas, declined to comment on the matter. Former City Manager Jim Vanderpool, who could not be reached for comment, resigned near the beginning of the year. His resignation occurred amid scrutiny over his close ties to Anaheim resort interests, which were a significant focus of an FBI corruption probe.
This latest controversy arises approximately a month before Mayor Aitken faces re-election. She is competing against two relatively unknown political newcomers, Dr. Imran Sharief, a physician, and Alfredo Rodriguez, a general manager of an environmental services company. Anaheim is a city where 53% of residents are Latino.
In the past week, a handful of local activists and residents called for Mayor Aitken's resignation at a Tuesday City Council meeting, condemning her for the alleged comments. Anaheim officials are scheduled to hold their regular City Council meeting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. They are also expected to meet again on Wednesday at 1 p.m. behind closed doors, continuing deliberations on the appointment of a new city manager.
