Anaheim has once again found itself at the center of difficult questions about leadership, workplace culture, and accountability at City Hall. A confidential letter from an attorney representing Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’s chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, has brought serious allegations into public view. The claims, first detailed in reporting by TimesOC, describe alleged racist remarks and repeated inappropriate comments and questions about Ballinas’s perceived sexual orientation. These are weighty accusations in any workplace, and especially so when they involve the city’s highest elected official in a majority-Latino community.
According to the Sept. 11 letter seeking mediation, Ballinas alleges that Aitken used a derogatory racial term on multiple occasions, including remarks about not wanting her car driven by someone who was a “dirty Mexican” while Ballinas was providing transportation after city functions. The letter further claims a pattern of comments and inquiries about Ballinas’s sexuality, some made in front of others, spanning from roughly 2023 into 2026. It also references related concerns involving former City Manager Jim Vanderpool and notes that Disney reportedly took action related to Club 33 membership and employee complaints stemming from the mayor’s alleged conduct.These are allegations contained in a legal letter, not adjudicated findings. That distinction matters.
The City of Anaheim has confirmed that a review is underway in its early stages. Because the matter involves personnel issues, officials have limited the details they can share publicly. Mayor Aitken has stated that she will “readily and truthfully” participate in any process. At the September 22 council meeting, she asked residents to consider her record, the initiatives she has championed, the communities she has stood beside, and the values reflected in her actions, while acknowledging limits on what she can say while the review proceeds. She repeated key parts of her remarks in Spanish.
Councilmember Natalie Meeks publicly called for an investigation, noting that if the claims are substantiated, resignation would be appropriate, but that the situation first deserves a proper inquiry. Residents have voiced strong feelings at public meetings, with some calling for the mayor’s resignation. Others have urged caution. The Democratic Party of Orange County, which has endorsed Aitken for reelection, has called for a full, fair, and independent investigation. In this context, reports have circulated that the Orange County Young Democrats (OCYD) has withdrawn its endorsement.
Organizational endorsements are expressions of confidence that can shift when serious questions arise. Whether or how groups reassess support is their prerogative; it does not, however, substitute for a careful examination of the facts.Anaheim’s recent history makes this moment particularly sensitive.
The city is still recovering from earlier scandals involving corruption investigations, influence-peddling concerns, and questions about transparency that led to significant public distrust. Aitken was elected in 2022 in part on a reform platform following the turmoil surrounding former Mayor Harry Sidhu. She has positioned herself as a champion of greater accountability. That record is part of the public conversation, as is the current set of claims. Neither cancels out the other. A thorough process is the only way to determine whether the allegations hold up, to protect the rights of everyone involved, and to maintain public confidence that City Hall takes such matters seriously regardless of the rank of the person accused. Rushed judgments serve no one well. Personnel investigations, especially those involving confidential employment matters, take time if they are to be credible. Witnesses must be interviewed, timelines reconstructed, and evidence weighed carefully. Leaking selective details or turning every development into immediate political ammunition risks undermining the very fairness that progressive values demand.
At the same time, silence or deflection when serious claims of racial and sexual-orientation-based harassment surface would be equally damaging. The appropriate middle path is clear: support a transparent, independent review conducted with integrity, insist on accountability if wrongdoing is established, and refrain from treating unproven allegations as settled fact. Ballinas is on leave for health-related reasons, according to reporting. Her decision to come forward through counsel reflects a formal process rather than a public spectacle. That process should be allowed to proceed without external pressure that could compromise its integrity or the well-being of those involved.
I’m going to fault Aitken’s statement because she felt the need to reference Ballinas’ health issue which is designed to point a finger instead of accept the results of a complete investigation. For Aitken, now is the time she finds out who her friends are and its a time for honest reflection. I will note when charges were brought against Aitken’s former political consultant Melahat Rafiei, Aitken was one of the first to cut ties. What’s the line? “Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.”
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