Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken denies racial slur allegations

Ashleigh Aitken Berenice Ballinas Anaheim City Hall racial slur allegations workplace misconduct

Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken has issued a direct denial following allegations from her chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, that the mayor used a racial slur and made inappropriate comments regarding Ballinas’s sexual orientation.

The allegations were detailed in a September 11 mediation letter sent by employment attorney Lawrence Lennemann to the Anaheim City Attorney. The letter claims Aitken used a derogatory term on multiple occasions and questioned Ballinas’s sexuality during various incidents, including a trip to Disneyland.

Aitken released a statement via Facebook denying the use of the slur and asserting her support for the LGBTQ community. She noted that because the matter involves an ongoing personnel issue, there are limits to what she can discuss publicly. She expressed a willingness to cooperate with an investigation and stated that the facts should determine the outcome.

The City of Anaheim has confirmed that a review of the matter is currently in its early stages.

Entities

Ashleigh Aitken · Berenice Ballinas · City of Anaheim · Lawrence Lennemann · Robert Fabela

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The allegations were detailed in a mediation letter sent on September 11 to the Anaheim City Attorney. offthepress.com · theliberaloc.com · nypost.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Chief of Staff Berenice Ballinas alleges Mayor Ashleigh Aitken used a racial slur against her. offthepress.com · theliberaloc.com · nypost.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The City of Anaheim has confirmed that a review of the matter is in its early stages. theliberaloc.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Aitken stated she will cooperate with an investigation into the allegations. offthepress.com · theliberaloc.com · nypost.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Mayor Ashleigh Aitken denied using the racial slur attributed to her. offthepress.com · nypost.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Ballinas alleges the mayor made inappropriate comments regarding her sexual orientation. offthepress.com · theliberaloc.com · nypost.com

Sources

Anaheim mayor accused of calling top staffer a ‘dirty Mexican’ issues blunt four-line response [offthepress.com]

about 20 hours ago

Patience and Process: Navigating the Allegations Against Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken [theliberaloc.com]

about 23 hours ago

Anaheim mayor accused of calling top staffer a ‘dirty Mexican’ issues blunt four-line response [nypost.com]

about 20 hours ago