California mayor accused of drunken behavior, racial slur, harassment in chief of staff's claim, tell me about this news today

The news centers on Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, who is facing a formal 25-page legal claim filed by her chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas. The filing, released publicly by the City of Anaheim, outlines allegations of workplace harassment, public intoxication, and the use of offensive language.

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The main details of the claim include:

• Racial Slurs and Harassment: Ballinas alleges that Mayor Aitken directed an anti-Latino racial slur at her, made inappropriate comments questioning her sexual orientation, and fostered a hostile workplace environment.

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• Intoxication at Official Events: The claim asserts that Aitken appeared visibly intoxicated during official municipal events, including an April City Council session and a city dinner.

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• Searching a City Official’s Vehicle: According to the filing, after an event where Aitken was allegedly impaired, Ballinas drove her home in a city vehicle belonging to then-City Manager Jim Vanderpool. During the drive, Aitken allegedly went through Vanderpool’s personal belongings inside the vehicle and took photos of them with her phone.

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• Off-Duty Incidents: The complaint also cites outside incidents, such as an occurrence where Aitken allegedly damaged a parked bicycle while impaired and fell into the street, leading her husband to later ask staff to reimburse the bicycle owner via Venmo.

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Response and Next Steps: Mayor Aitken has explicitly denied using the racial slur and rejected allegations of homophobic behavior, maintaining that she has always championed the LGBTQ+ community. The Anaheim City Council has scheduled closed-door sessions to review the claims amid calls from council members and the public for an independent investigation.

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