Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica led the city council meeting on Oct. 11, 2022, as Mayor Lamar Thorpe was out of town. Photo by Allen D. Payton

After she checked her calendar and selected the date

By Allen D. Payton

At the end of the regular Antioch City Council meeting Tuesday night, Oct. 11, 2022, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica who was leading the meeting in Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s absence, called for a special meeting. He wanted only one item on the agenda, a vote to censure Thorpe. Both Councilwomen Lori Ogorchock and Monica Wilson agreed.

Barbanica wanted to hold the meeting on Thursday, Oct. 13 or Friday, Oct. 14. But Wilson said she would be unavailable. She checked her calendar and selected next Tuesday night, Oct. 18th. Barbanica and Ogorchock agreed but Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker said she would be unavailable that night.

Then, Thursday morning at 9:50 a.m., Barbanica informed the Herald that “the special meeting has been cancelled. I received a call from the city attorney, and he informed me Monica had changed her mind.”

Asked if he would contact Wilson and Torres-Walker to learn if they were available another night to hold the special meeting Barbanica said he would call City Attorney Thomas L. Smith to poll the councilmembers to determine if there’s a third vote for a special meeting.

“I believe the mayor should be my third vote to hold a special meeting if he truly believes in transparency as he has claimed since taking office,” Barbanica added.

Efforts to reach Wilson were unsuccessful Wednesday morning asking her, “Why did you change your mind? Did you discover this morning a conflict in your schedule that night? Do you still support holding a special meeting to vote on censuring the mayor? If so, what nights next week are you available and have you informed the city attorney of those options?”

Efforts to reach Torres-Walker were unsuccessful asking if she supports holding a special meeting to vote on censuring the mayor and if so, what nights next week she’s available and has she informed the city attorney of those options.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Thorpe prepares to leave the Sept. 27, 2022, council meeting two hours and 16 minutes early to catch a flight to Los Angeles turning the remainder meeting over to the leadership of Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica. Video screenshot.

Expected to participate via Zoom; “assistant” reveals Thorpe traveled to Los Angeles for one day

By Allen D. Payton

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe left the Sept. 27, 2022, council meeting early after getting his council colleagues to move up some agenda items and public comments moved toward the end. It was the first council meeting held since the Board of Supervisors voted for the $350,000 settlement in the sexual harassment lawsuit against him on Tuesday, Sept. 13th. While Thorpe refuses to give the reason for the quick trip or where he went, it was later revealed by his “assistant” on his official Facebook page, that he had flown to Los Angeles and returned Wednesday but didn’t say why, either.

Thorpe will be in Seattle for a four-day transportation conference, Tuesday night, Oct. 11th during the council meeting, but is expected to participate via Zoom. Antioch District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson is also expected to be on the same trip and participating in the meeting via Zoom. They both serve on the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors representing Antioch and for which he currently serves as vice chair.

Antioch Chamber of Commerce Executive Daniel Sohn (left) with Interim City Manager Con Johnson and Thorpe at the Starbucks in the Bluerock Center on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. Source: Facebook

In a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday morning, Thorpe shared a photo of himself with Daniel Sohn, executive director of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce and Interim City Manager Con Johnson inside the Bluerock Starbucks celebrating “National Coffee Day” and inviting one resident to “get down here, gurl! there’s plenty to go around.”

Thorpe was asked about his Tuesday night flight and being out of town for the next council meeting on Oct. 11th. Following a voicemail message to which he did not respond, Thorpe was asked again via email Friday morning, Sept. 30, “To where did you catch a flight Tuesday night and for what reason that caused you to leave the council meeting early? When did you return that allowed you to be back in Antioch at the Bluerock Starbucks yesterday (Thursday) morning to take and post the photo on ‘National Coffee Day’?”

Since Thorpe said he would be gone for the next council meeting, as well, it was assumed he was traveling out of town for two weeks. He was also asked, “since you have your DUI trial scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 6, did you not actually travel out of town? Where will you be on Tuesday night, Oct. 11 that will cause you to miss that night’s council meeting?”

He was also asked, “is this merely an effort, along with moving up the items before public comment on last Tuesday’s council meeting agenda, to avoid hearing public criticism and negative comments from people regarding the recent settlement of the sexual harassment suit against you?”

Thorpe did not respond.

Thorpe’s Facebook post about the A Street homeless encampment cleanup on Thursday, Sept. 29. Source: Facebook

However, in another post on also his official Facebook page, the same day, about the cleanup of the homeless camps on A Street along the railroad right-of-way, someone asked in a comment, “How can you be out of town but be at Starbucks on lone tree? #transparentantioch”

The response from someone read, “Mayor Thorpe was in Los Angeles Wednesday not Thursday.”

This reporter then asked, “why? Was it an official, government trip or personal?” Neither the person nor Thorpe responded. Those comments have since been illegally removed.

On Monday, Oct. 3 he was, again asked about his trip to L.A., “Why were you there? Was it an official, government trip, personal or for other business? If for a government trip, what did you do on behalf of the City of Antioch in Los Angeles, that day? If not, could it have been scheduled for some other time, so you didn’t have to miss part of Tuesday night’s meeting and rearrange the agenda? How long before Tuesday night did you know about your flight out that night? Was it prior to you developing the agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting? Also, why will you be unable to attend the next council meeting on Oct. 11, either in person or via Zoom?”

Thorpe was also asked, why he has an “assistant” responding to members of the public on his official Facebook page, who she is and if she is being paid by the city in some capacity or from his campaign funds. Finally, he was asked, “Do you really not have the time to interact with your own constituents?”

He did not respond.

Another attempt was made to obtain Thorpe’s reasons for missing part of the last council meeting and the next one. He was asked Tuesday night, Oct. 4th, “Why did you have to fly out of town last Tuesday night causing you to miss part of the council meeting?” and “Why will you be unable to participate in the next council meeting either in person or via Zoom on Tuesday, Oct. 11th? Where will you be and why?”

On Saturday morning, Oct. 8 Thorpe was asked via email, “Is it true you will be participating in next Tuesday’s council meeting via Zoom because you will be in Seattle, Washington for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) conference as a member of the Tri Delta Transit board? If so, why do you need to go? Do all the board members attend each APTA conference each year? Will any staff or other board members from the agency be traveling there with you, other than Monica Wilson? How much is your trip costing the agency, thus the taxpayers? Also, again, why did you fly to L.A. on Tuesday night Sept. 27 causing you to miss part of the council meeting that night?”

Thorpe did not respond by publication time.

Screenshot of Thorpe’s Oct. 6, 2022, Facebook post of Quinto family comments.

Quinto was not in police custody when he died in the hospital three days later from “excited delirium and prescription drugs”

Antioch Police Officers Association, Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica respond; Thorpe does not

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Oct. 6, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe repeated the false claims by the family of Angelo Quinto that he “was killed by Antioch Police” and that his was an “in custody death”. Both claims have been debunked by both the Contra Costa County Coroner and Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, as well as former Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks.

Thorpe posted the glowing comments about himself by Quinto’s mother and stepfather, that include the false claims which read, “‘Mayor Lamar Thorpe has been a courageous leader, helping the city of Antioch overcome a history that has often failed many members of its highly diverse community.

Our son, Angelo Quinto, was killed by Antioch Police in December 2020, soon after Mayor Thorpe was elected. A second in custody death followed closely thereafter. Mayor Thorpe was instrumental in seeking and achieving meaningful reforms, including body cams and non-police mental health response teams, that led to better policing for the Antioch community in an expeditious manner.

As a result of Mayor Thorpe’s fearless leadership, the city of Antioch has reformed or is in the midst of reforming many critical areas. His fearlessness has often made him the target of attacks by members of the community who don’t understand the need or are afraid of the reforms that have been undertaken. He is a forward looking leader who will not be silenced, and is helping Antioch overcome a legacy of exclusion and division, and transform it into a city that lives by its motto, opportunity lives here.’

Cassandra Quinto-Collins and Robert Collins”

The other death they referred to, was of a man that occurred in February 2021 while he was in custody at a local hospital. He was under the influence of drugs, running into traffic on major city streets and attempted to break into a car with the driver inside and had to be tazed by police to subdue him. He was administered NARCAN and later died while still in-custody at a local hospital. (See related article)

March 2021 – Antioch Police Chief: No Knee to Neck, Quinto Died While Not in Police Custody

Yet, during the press conference held about the case, in March 2021, then-Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks said Quinto died in the hospital three days after the incident while not in police custody. (See related article)

At that press conference which Thorpe both attended and spoke during, Brooks said there was no knee on Quinto’s neck by officers and he was not in custody at time of his Dec. 26 death. In addition, Brooks released the 9-11 calls from Quinto’s family to Antioch Police demonstrating the need for the officers’ response to protect the family from Quinto who was harming them. Officers arrived on the scene to find Quinto being actively restrained by his mother on a bedroom floor of the home, Brooks further shared.

In addition, he shared he had “been in contact with the Coroner’s Office and the following four points have been jointly approved by multiple pathologists related to their findings thus far:

1. Although the decedent had injuries consistent with a struggle with his family and law enforcement, none of the injuries appeared to be fatal.
2. There were no fractures of the skull, torso, or extremities.
3. A full examination of the neck revealed there was no evidence of strangulation or crushed airway.
4. They are currently expanding toxicology testing because they were aware of reported past drug use.”

August 2021 – County Coroner’s Inquest Jury: Quinto’s Death Was Accident Caused by “Excited Delirium and Prescription Drugs”

Then in August 2021, a Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Inquest Jury, after hearing the testimony of witnesses, found that Quinto’s death was an accident. He “succumbed to excited delirium and prescription drugs during the physical altercation with officers, the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office ruled”.  (See related article)

September 2022 – Contra Costa DA Report: Officers Acted In Lawful, Objectively Reasonable Manner

Finally, early last month, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office issued a 39-page, “Report of the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident In-Custody Death of Angelo Voithugo Quinto on December 24, 2020” in which they wrote, “…Antioch Police officers engaged with Quinto in a manner that was lawful and objectively reasonable under the circumstances…an internal examination showed no bone fractures or damage to Quinto’s larynx and trachea…” The report concluded that, “In applying the applicable law and the California District Attorney’s Uniform Crime Charging Standards to the present case, there is no evidence of a criminal offense committed by Officer Becerra, Officer Perkinson, Officer Hopwood, or Officer Shipilov. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.” (See related article)

Thorpe Refuses to Answer Questions, Now Limiting Comments on Official Facebook Page

Questions were sent to Thorpe Saturday morning, Oct. 8 asking, “do you not believe the findings from the office of your political ally, D.A. Diana Becton? Do you not recognize the negative impacts of what you’ve shared on the morale of Antioch Police Department personnel?

Are you not aware that officers who are leaving the department are claiming in their exit interviews that it’s partially and directly related to your attitude and that of your two council colleagues, Monica Wilson and Tamisha Torres-Walker, against them, other APD officers and the department as a whole?”

In addition, posts on his Facebook page show Thorpe only allows select individuals to post comments. Below each post the following sentence can be read: “Mayor Lamar A. Thorpe limited who can comment on this post.”

He was then asked, “Why have you limited comments on this and other posts on your official Facebook page? Are you afraid of reading comments by ang engaging with your constituents who you were elected to represent and serve? Do you not want to know what your constituents are thinking? Isn’t that being cowardly? Who are you allowing and not allowing to comment on the posts on that page? What is the criteria you are using for your selectivity?”

Screenshot of Sept. 2, 2022, Facebook post of APOA statement regarding the CCDA’s Quinto case report.

Antioch Police Officers Association Responds

Asked if he had a response to Thorpe’s post Sergeant Rick Hoffman, president of the Antioch Police Officers Association provided the statement they issued to the Associated Press in September and posted on their Facebook page on Sept. 2nd:

“The death of Angelo Quinto was an unfortunate circumstance and the men and women of the Antioch Police Department continue to pray for the Quinto family. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office has cleared the Antioch Police Officers involved in this incident of any wrongdoing and we believe this is the correct decision.”

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica Also Responds

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica also responded to Thorpe’s posting of the Quinto family’s comments, sharing the Sept. 2nd post on his own official Facebook page following the announcement by the DA’s office. He wrote, “I want to be very clear that the loss of any human life is tragic. This is not in any way meant to minimize that. This article speaks for itself and I believe that we should wait for investigations to be completed before making assumptions.

Screenshot of Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica’s Sept. 2, 2022, Facebook post regarding the CCDA’s Quinto case report

During this time, so many statements were made by members of the public and elected officials which led many people to believe there was wrongdoing before any formal investigation was complete. I want to point out, that I always understand the emotion and the sense of loss from family members, so this is in no way referring to their response or minimizing their grief. This is about people within our community and elected officials that should know better, that we should wait to find out the facts before jumping to conclusions.

Last year there were even statements published after being made by Assemblyman Gipson of So. CA. that there was an officer that did kneel on Mr. Quinto’s neck for five minutes, giving the appearance that this contributed to this death. This statement was made before any findings were made public.

On 9/3/21, I personally called and spoke with the Assemblyman about this, telling him that I disagreed with his public statement, especially before any findings had been published and that there was no evidence of this. I also brought to his attention at that time, the recent Coroner’s Inquest findings. During that conversation, he told me that he was going to personally call Chief Brooks and apologize for the premature statement and apologize to the APD. With Chief Brooks permission, I supplied the Assemblyman with the chief’s personal cell phone number.

On 9/13/21 I again reached out to him as that call had not yet happened, but he told me that he would be making the call. To my knowledge, that has yet to happen.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

No public process, no executive search; directs city attorney to draw up contract for Oct. 25th vote

Two council candidates decry decision

“The best practice here in terms of transparency is to advertise the vacancy with details about the position…” – Martha Perego, Director of Member Services and Ethics for the International City/County Management Association

Cornelius “Con” Johnson.

By Allen D. Payton

During the closed session meeting prior to the Antioch City Council’s regular meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, on a 3-2 split vote, they selected Interim City Manager Cornelius “Con” Johnson to be the permanent city manager, just six weeks before the November election. Mayor Lamar Thorpe and District 4 and 1 Councilwomen Monica Wilson and Tamisha Torres-Walker voted in favor while Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock dissented. A final vote to hire Johnson and approve his contract is scheduled for their October 25th meeting, just two weeks prior to the election.

The council held no nationwide search using an executive search firm nor did they open it to other city staff members including Assistant City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore, to find the best candidate for the position. Although it was rumored to be Johnson, no official notice was provided to the public who the council was considering, so no input could be given prior to the decision being made. All that was written in the council meeting agenda for the fourth time was “PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT: CITY MANAGER. This closed session is authorized pursuant to Government Code section 54957.” (See agenda)

At the beginning of the council’s regular meeting, City Attorney Thomas Smith reported out from closed session that, “on a motion by Councilmember Wilson and a second by Councilmember Walker the city council made a motion directing the city attorney to prepare a contract for the appointment of Cornelius Johnson as the city’s permanent city manager,” and that the vote passed 3-2.

Four council challengers were asked if they had a comment about the selection of Johnson, in closed session and without the public knowing who it was the council was considering.

District 4 candidate Shawn Pickett responded, “I’ll keep it brief. City council talks transparency but actions say otherwise.”

District 1 candidate Joy Motts also responded writing, “For a Council that claims they want to be inclusive, transparent and making community driven decisions, I personally want to know why they made this decision behind closed doors and without a public process and public input? Antioch deserves the best and the brightest. Mr. Johnson may have ultimately ended up being the best person for the job, but we will never know. These are the exact type of decisions and actions that are causing many of their constituents and community leaders to lose respect and confidence in their ability to govern.”

The other District 1 challenger, Diane Gibson-Gray responded, “Hiring a city manager before the November election is a disservice to the new city manager and the community.  Currently, the mayor has the majority vote, however, with the November 8th election that may change. After the election if there is a new council majority, I am confident there will be a candidate selection process that includes posting the position internally and externally, including hiring a search firm. Antioch is a city of 115,000 and we need a strong, experienced city manager. If on November 9th the council majority remains the same, that is a story for another day.”

Sandra White did not offer a comment but had previously said the council should wait until after the election to hire a permanent city manager. (See related article)

Attorney Smith was asked via email Wednesday morning if the vote should have occurred in public, and the candidate’s name be provided so the public could offer their comments prior to the vote. He was also asked if it is proper procedure to make the decision before the contract was provided for the council members and the public to review prior to the vote rather than prepare the agreement after the fact.

His Executive Legal Assistant Rakia Grant-Smith responded Thursday morning, “The appointment of the City Manager has not yet occurred. It will be an agenda item for City Council consideration at an upcoming regular City Council meeting.  The contract template will be included in the agenda packet for that meeting.  The City Council will determine compensation for the position at a regular meeting after hearing public comment.  We anticipate this item will be placed on the October 25, 2022 agenda.”

Smith was asked again, Thursday morning, shouldn’t Johnson’s name have been included in the agenda item so the public would know who they were considering in order to provide input to the council before their closed session vote. No response was received prior to publication time.

Questions were also sent Wednesday morning to Martha Perego, Director of Member Services and Ethics for the International City/County Management Association asking, shouldn’t the vote have occurred in public, and the candidate’s name be provided so the public could offer their comments prior to the vote. In addition, they were asked if it is proper procedure to vote to select someone as city manager without a contract being made available for review, first.

Perego responded, “The law varies from state to state about the topics a governing body is permitted to discuss in executive session. It is my understanding that under California law, the governing body can discuss the potential appointment and terms of an agreement in closed session.  But both the appointment and employment agreement must be approved in open session of city council and on the public record.

The best practice here in terms of transparency is to advertise the vacancy with details about the position including that they are seeking an individual to serve. Then they would interview candidates and announce their selection publicly with an explanation as to why they chose this individual to serve.  That of course assumes that the person is not from within the organization.

If it is an internal candidate, such as a current deputy or assistant manager, then it is fairly common for the governing body to make that appointment without any external advertising.”

“I’m not judging the competency of the interim candidate or the governing body’s judgment here.  But I observe that the fact that they never did a competitive search is raising this question ‘how do we know that this is the best candidate’,” Perego continued. “If someone is an internal candidate who got their position via a competitive process, has a track record with the organization and gets selected to be interim and then manager, you have the confidence that the person has demonstrated their capabilities. Even without a competitive search.

In this scenario, absent a competitive search for the interim, the governing body is now making a decision to award this person the permanent job based on one year’s experience.  That raises the question about how do we know that this is the best candidate. They could have resolved this issue by just going through a competitive process either with the selection of an interim (would have been a smaller field since it was a temporary position) or doing a competitive process now to select a permanent candidate.”

“I don’t think they are required to list who they are discussing when in executive session,” she added. (Emphasis added)

Johnson’s Record as Interim City Manager

Johnson was hired as the interim city manager last year, with a one-year contract, even though he had lied on his resume claiming to be a retired police captain from the San Francisco Police Department when he’s a retired lieutenant and was only an acting captain at the time he retired. In addition, prior to their vote the council members were all provided with information from an independent background check done by an Antioch resident that shows Johnson had filed for bankruptcy, twice and had three foreclosures. (See related articles here, here and here)

At the beginning of this year, Johnson worked to evict Congressman Jerry McNerney from his office space at the Community Center at Prewett Family Park, even though McNerney had a lease that didn’t expire until next January. (See related article)

Then Johnson made major mistakes in handling the hiring of a new interim police chief, when he fired the previous one, current Captain Tony Morefield, via email which included all the council members, other city staff members and even Steve Ford, who had just been announced as the new interim police chief the day before. He didn’t fill the position until nine weeks, later. (See related article)

Finally, Johnson was part of the group, along with Thorpe and Torres-Walker, who had the permit revoked for the annual Antioch Juneteenth event organized by Claryssa Wilson, and instead hired an Oakland-based motorcycle club to organize it. (See related article)

If the council hires him and includes a severance package in Johnson’s contract, should a new council majority be elected in November and seated at the first council meeting in December, they can terminate him from the position at a following special meeting, before the end of the year. But that will result in Johnson being paid for however long the severance lasts while at the same time paying an acting city manager until a new, permanent city manager is hired.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Tuesday night: cannabis retail store proposed for Somersville Road, “nursery” for W. 10th St.; temporary office space for displaced non-profit organizations; $60K for “Faces of Opportunity” marketing campaign

By Allen D. Payton

During their regular meeting Tuesday night, Sept. 27, 2022, the Antioch City Council will discuss Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s proposed traffic calming devices on major city streets in response to the tragic accident that injured three school children, recently. They will also consider approving temporary office space agreements with four non-profit organizations displaced from the Rivertown Resource Center, two more cannabis businesses and funds for the “Faces of Opportunity” marketing campaign. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.

During a closed session meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m., the council will once again consider hiring a permanent city manager, less than two months before the election, which is opposed by both Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, as well as the four other challengers in this year’s city council races.  (See complete meeting agenda packet, here).

Temporary Office Space for Displaced Non-Profit Org’s

During the Consent Calendar portion of the meeting agenda, the council will consider approving short-term lease agreements for temporary office space, inside the Nick Rodriguez Center,  with four of the 16 non-profit organizations that were displaced from the Rivertown Resource Center, when the city’s new Department of Community Services and Public Safety took it over, recently. The organizations include Rivertown Jamboree, Todos Unidos, Prison From the Inside Out and Mission Possible. (See related article)

Faces of Opportunity Citywide Marketing Campaign

In addition, with item K on the Consent Calendar, the council will consider spending $60,000 for a city-wide marketing campaign with Seattle-based Northwest Partners, entitled “Faces of Opportunity”. According to the staff report, On December 14, 2021, the City Council approved the marketing campaign which “focuses on real people that make Antioch a city of opportunity. The marketing team has selected a number of individuals who have compelling and inspirational stories to share.

The City Council previously authorized staff to execute media purchases not exceeding $185,000. However, the process of conducting the interviews, scheduling of the photography shoots, and creating the creative content extended beyond June 30, 2022.

Consequently, the funds authorized for media purchases were not expended. City purchasing policies require City Council authorization for payment of funds to any single vendor that exceeds $50,000. Northwest Media Partners was selected by the City’s media purchasing vendor, Orange22.”

Proposed First Cannabis Business on Somersville Road

The council will also consider approving another retail cannabis business, the first one in the Somersville and Delta Fair area at 2615 Somersville Road in the building between Wells Fargo Bank and Double Dragon Chinese restaurant.

Cannabis Nursery on W. 10th Street

The council will also consider approving the Delta View Nursery at 2101 W. 10th Street, next door to and in the same building as the Delta Dispensary.

Traffic Calming Needs Discussion

The last item on the council meeting agenda is a discussion of traffic calming devices. Following the accident caused by a driver passing in the oncoming traffic lane that resulted in serious injury of three school children walking home Friday afternoon, September 16, 2022, Thorpe and Area 1 Antioch School Board Trustee Antonio Hernandez posted a video on Facebook in which Thorpe proposed adding traffic calming devices, such as speed humps, to several city streets including Sycamore Drive, 10th Street, Davison Drive, James Donlon Blvd. and even Hillcrest Avenue.

The proposal comes after the council recently approved increasing the speed limit on several major thoroughfares in the city, including James Donlon Blvd., from 40 to 45 MPH. No action will be taken but direction to staff is requested.

Public Comments

The public has the opportunity to address the City Council on each agenda item. No one may speak more than once on an agenda item or during “Public Comments”. Members of the public wishing to provide public comments, may do so in one of the following ways (#2 pertains to the Zoom Webinar Platform):

1. IN PERSON – Fill out a Speaker Request Form, available near the entrance doors, and place in the Speaker Card Tray near the City Clerk before the City Council Meeting begins.
2. VIRTUAL – To provide oral public comments during the meeting, please click the following link to register in advance to access the meeting via Zoom Webinar: https://www.antiochca.gov/speakers

▪ You will be asked to enter an email address and a name. Your email address will not be disclosed to the public. After registering, you will receive an email with instructions on how to connect to the meeting.

▪ When the Mayor announces public comments, click the “raise hand” feature in Zoom. For instructions on using the “raise hand” feature in Zoom, visit: https://www.antiochca.gov/raise_hand.

When calling into the meeting using the Zoom Webinar telephone number, press *9 on your telephone keypad to “raise your hand”. Please ensure your Zoom client is updated so staff can enable your microphone when it is your turn to speak.

Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. When you are called to speak, please limit your comments to the time allotted (350 words, up to 3 minutes, at the discretion of the Mayor). The City cannot guarantee that its network and/or the site will be uninterrupted.

3. WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT – If you wish to provide a written public comment, you may do so in one of the following ways by 3:00 p.m. the day of the City Council Meeting:

(1) Fill out an online speaker card, located at https://www.antiochca.gov/speaker_card, or

(2) Email the City Clerk’s Department at cityclerk@ci.antioch.ca.us.

Please note: Written public comments received by 3:00 p.m. the day of the City Council Meeting will be shared with the City Council before the meeting, entered into the public record, retained on file by the City Clerk’s Office, and available to the public upon request. Written public comments will not be read during the City Council Meeting.

Viewing Meeting

Antioch City Council meetings are held inside the Council Chambers at City Hall at 200 H Street. They are televised live on Comcast channel 24, AT&T U-verse channel 99, or via live stream at www.antiochca.gov/government/city-council-meetings/live/.

Revised promo for Antioch Police Community Forum scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, showing it has been postponed.

She won’t say why; tentatively rescheduled for 4:30 p.m. on same date as District 1 candidates forum

By Allen D. Payton

A revised flier posted on the Antioch Police Department’s Facebook page Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 21, 2022, promoting the Community Forum scheduled for tonight at the Dairy Queen on E. 18th Street in District 1 has been postponed. In addition, the post reads, “We regret to inform our community members that tonight’s Community Forum has been postponed until October 5th. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing you then.”

Original promo for Antioch Police Community Forum scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022.

Screenshot of Lacey Ferguson Facebook video on Sept. 18, 2022, and Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe

“I wanted to validate the women coming forward and bound to join them in the coming days by speaking on the culture and history of misogyny that does surround Lamar…You do what he wants, whether that is politically or otherwise, or you are punished for it.” – Lacey Ferguson

Calls him “dangerous” and “predatory toward women”

Thorpe does not respond

Ferguson also takes swipes at others, including three council members

By Allen D. Payton

WARNING – MATURE CONTENT: In an almost 25-minute video posted on her Facebook page on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 18, 2022, Lacey Ferguson, who has been a vocal supporter of Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe and claims to be his former lover, said she believes the accusations by two women who accused him of sexual harassment. As previously reported the county Board of Supervisors voted last week to settle the women’s legal case for $350,000. (See related article)

Ferguson, formerly known as Lacey Brown, made a name for herself, locally while participating in protests in 2020, including a “hunger strike in which she camped outside the Antioch Police Facility for several days calling for the firing of a police officer and then last year at Police Chief Tammany Brooks’ going away party where she was arrested. She has since helped form the Antioch Homeless Coalition as an advocate for the city’s unhoused residents. (See related articles here, here and here)

Ferguson joins Antioch City Clerk Ellie Householder, also a former ally of Thorpe, who issued a statement on Saturday saying she believes his accusers, as well. (See related article)

She made claims of misogyny by Thorpe, and like Householder, Ferguson mentioned his retaliation against people who supported the mayor but challenged and/or who distanced themselves from him.

In addition, in a comment beneath the post on her Facebook video Ferguson wrote, “To all of the women Lamar is reaching out to, to ask for a statement of support: please think of the impacted people of this situation and do not.”

In the video entitled, “My statement regarding allegations against Mayor Lamar Thorpe”, Ferguson was also critical of Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock being “opportunistic” for calling for Thorpe’s resignation, but also criticized District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson for calling them racist for doing so.

Ferguson’s Prepared Statement

Ferguson read from a prepared statement which she said she hand wrote: “I felt inclined to come on to my community in light of recent events in my community involving our mayor, Lamar Thorpe and the settlement granted to two victims of sexual harassment who used to work for him at the healthcare district.

No matter what my relationship is with him, in reality, to the public, I am closely affiliated to him, and I feel like it’s my responsibility to address this situation rather than staying silent like I imagine many people surrounding him will do.

First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the experiences of these two women. I know in the coming days they are likely to experience backlash that is unfair and unwarranted. It takes bravery to come forward on something like this considering his position at his former place of employment and our city.

I’d also like to start by apologizing because myself have made excuses and defended Lamar for a long time. We have not only stood behind him but assisted in furthering his position to get him to the powerful place that he is today. I know in many private conversations I have had with the many women who surround him they feel guilt, shame and responsibility for this which is unfair because he should be the one facing accountability for his actions.

I wanted to validate the women coming forward and bound to join them in the coming days by speaking on the culture and history of misogyny that does surround Lamar.

There has always been an accepted knowledge about him who is closely affiliated. We have likened him to getting a degree in women’s studies to taking a narcissist to therapy. They get the tips, tricks to use and turn around and use them against you.

Everyone is well aware that he sleeps with every young intern or assistant he has or plenty other people within the city – he jokes about this. Several people have come to be saying how he would direct message them and text them while they are in high school or ask for the names or numbers underage asking for them to be invited to events where he would be, but I was never aware of any actual illegal activity, so this was always a running joke I was ware of but was uncomfortable with but never said anything about. This makes me even more ashamed to continue with the things I am about to share.

Myself and Lamar have had a very rocky existence at many different levels of interaction. We have been acquaintances, professional collaborators, enemies and friends more than that throughout different times throughout the past couple of years.  So many times, those of us working together with Lamar that were questionable, not completely unethical were able to rationalize this because we believed the ends justified the means.  All of this for us was for what we believed the greater good.

It isn’t a secret that I have publicly spoken out about behavior I didn’t agree with the unhoused residents’ services, police reform, and other matters. He and I were not on good terms for a period of time after I tweeted about something he and I disagree about up until about February of this year.

I was originally defensive of Lamar when it came to allegations of sexual misconduct. For one, when I was made aware of the sexual harassment allegations against him, I asked him about them and he had stated that these women had been caught stealing money from the Los Medanos Healthcare District and were fired for such and had only concocted this story after their termination to save their own asses and described them, as quote, little ghetto girls.

I myself have had consensual sex interactions with Lamar where he was never aggressive, violent or pressuring me in any way. I got to thinking about how that initiated when I read the full statement in the news from these women over the last couple days from these women and all of it sounded all too familiar and immediately knew these women were telling the truth.

I attended a fundraiser for Monica Wilson at Monica’s Riverview, the restaurant. I showed up late and in scrubs as I had just come from outreach and was irritated when I realized Lamar was still there because I didn’t have the patience to deal with him that day. We had not been getting along for a couple of months if not longer. When the event ended, we had all gone over to the bar side of the restaurant, and he tried to pay for a drink of mine, and I threw his cash back at him. He tried to convince me to dance with him and I chalked this up to him being drunk and I didn’t respond.

As we all were lined up by the door to go to Legends, another bar in Antioch, he loudly said something along the lines of ‘Lacey walking around with all that a**’ and used both his hands to smack and grab my butt. He did this in front of several elected officials and city-affiliated people who just looked at me waiting to say something. I rolled my eyes and gave him a jousting shove in the chest and we all just left. In hindsight, this, of course, was an issue, but like I said, this is accepted knowledge about Lamar that he is just like that and he was drunk and when Lamar is drunk, he says and does dumb things because we all do.

We all left to Legends and he and I both got drunk, we went out to the dance floor a couple of times and once our colleagues left he kissed me at the bar. I knew he was more intoxicated than I was, so I told him he needed to sober up and talk to me tomorrow. He walked me to my car where we kissed again, and he tried to put his hands down my pants, but I stopped him. The next day he texted me something along the lines of its tomorrow, its sober Lamar and I am still thinking about you.

That evening, I went over to his house and he and I had sex, casual sex. Maybe five times between then and his DUI. I’d like to make it very clear that every sexual interaction between Lamar and I was 100% consensual and I am not claiming to be a victim of anything. I am simply trying to provide context as to why I believe these women and to despite his response will likely be to them if any their experience was not an isolated incident.

The behavior on his end is the same but the difference is some of us return his advances and some do not. These women having been fired from their jobs for doing the latter. Anyone who knows Lamar finds themselves in that predicament in a lot of different situations. You do what he wants, whether that is politically or otherwise, or you are punished for it. The attribute that he is most proud of is self admittingly is his pettiness and his ability to get revenge.

The night of his DUI I missed a text from him that said ‘help’ while he was at CHP. A couple hours later around 6:00 AM I got a call from another member of city council asking if I knew where he was because they had gotten the same text. I drove to his house, and I spoke to him.

He was upset. It hadn’t hit the news yet, but he knew it was about to. He was saying things about ‘my career is over, everything was over’. I told him it was going to be okay. I left. Henry Lee (of KTVU Fox 2) was calling him for a statement.

That morning I partied with another person close to him to have some of our friends over to cheer him up a bit. He was in really bad spirits that day and we just wanted him to know he had support. We got trays of food his closest people surprised him at his house as he came home from an event.

I drank way too much, which is my own responsibility and nobody else’s, and I was arrested for a DUI after leaving his house later that evening. He was afraid of anyone finding out where I had been coming from, of course. He said he had interim city manager Con Johnson calling around to impound lots trying to figure out where they had towed my car. I told him that was probably a bad idea and he agreed.

I appreciated him being helpful because I was really embarrassed what had happened and the timing of it all as it was the same day as his DUI. I had previously done some work for him for Rolando Bonilla’s city council campaign down in San Jose which he was running. Some of which I had previously refused payment for. He offered to pay me money to help me get a car, temporarily and he dropped the money off to my house for me. He told me not to talk to anyone or make any statements, but I did want to take accountability, so I did make the statement online anyway.

He called up a mutual connection of ours, an attorney I had worked with through my non-profit organization, and someone he knows personally. He explained my situation and offered to help me out. She and I arranged for me to sign a retainer agreement for to represent me once charges for my DUI came about. I really appreciated this gesture from him.

A few weeks later, I began helping Lamar as a paid volunteer for his anti-recall campaign. He was focused on being the campaign manager for Rolando in San Jose and was traveling there, daily.

During this time, a vote was set to occur by city council regarding HomeKey application for transitional housing funds. Andrew Becker and I approached Tamisha Torres-Walker to hear us out before voting despite Lamar had expected a ‘yes’ vote from her to push it through. She was kind enough to give us time and attend a meeting that we set up. She concluded that from this meeting that further investigation into an additional potential site needed to be done and to Lamar’s surprise, she voted ‘no’ at the meeting.

In immediate retaliation, he abstained from a vote for the Department of Public Safety, something she had been working on and very important to her.

Shortly prior to that meeting, I had a meeting with Councilmember Lori Ogorchock which I had mentioned that when it comes to Lamar none of us really have a choice. We either do what he wants, or he punishes those who go against him. She mentioned I contribute to enabling him and I agreed with her.

He and I spoke after he abstained from the vote with Tamisha, and I expressed my distaste for the behavior he had shown toward her. He said it was political and that is how things get done. I said, respectfully, ‘I don’t support behavior like that’ and I dropped off all the T-shirts, signs, campaign materials on his front porch. I was determined to not continue to enable him despite knowing me and my assistance mean nothing to him and likely wouldn’t make a difference anyway.

The next morning, I received a text message from a mutual connection, the attorney I had been speaking with and had planned to represent him. She let me know, due to quote, ‘capacity at her office’, suddenly, would be unable to represent me. I wholeheartedly believe this was the work of Lamar and taking away his third vote.

It was after this, for the final time, I said I was done with the game we all play dodging and ducking the wrath of Lamar. Nearly every mutual friend of ours has expressed similar sentiments as me but they are forced to continue playing the game. The thing is when you are loyal to no one like he is, no one is loyal to you either. So many disgusting things he was saying and doing were repeated back to me and I was sick about it. I still continue to defend him in some ways.

One of our mutual friends, after this, told me that his increasing erratic and concerning behavior was due to multitude of things, including use of cocaine, allegedly stealing money, engaging in illegal behavior, misusing campaign funds from both he and Rolando Bonilla campaigns and to this day I am not sure any of that is true and I don’t know if it is.  This video would be way too long to go into it all.

But it is here where I began to watch the unraveling of the person I know to be Lamar.

I was at Ellie’s (Householder’s) house, someone who I perceived to be his closest friend and ally, when the news broke about the overturning of Roe vs Wade. When Lamar made his post the initial caption, he made the situation about the ‘Karens’ of Antioch, his recall, blamed the only female Supreme Court judge contributing to its overturning. His post was the first thing that popped up on my Instagram feed and it was how I actually learned about the decision.

Ellie called him to recommend that he change his caption to focus on those more directly impacted and less on himself. He met her with such hostility, that she stood in his kitchen with tears asking him to please not do this when it came to speaking to her and treating her the way that he was. She knew it would be a final nail in the coffin that was already a damaged relationship. I heard him almost laugh at her telling her she was being hysterical, of all words to use, and hang up on her. I was so appalled.

In the coming weeks, I saw the lengths he was willing to go to retaliate against Ellie for distancing herself from him and I was truly shocked. As I mentioned, we all knew who and what he was but seeing it in action in such a blatant way was disturbing. I also began to hear from so many people he had harmed, people were slowly coming together and following the lead of those distancing themselves from him.

These people’s stories are not mine to tell and if they choose to come forward then I fully encourage and support them to do so if they feel comfortable.

Says Thorpe Will Not Resign

I know that he will not resign because he and I have had a conversation about that before in which he told me there would be nothing that could ever make him do so. However, what I am asking for here is for the people who know about everything I am referencing in this video and more to stop sheltering and defend him.

We need to stop rallying around him and speak out and it is all of our responsibility to do so at this point as we have created the situation that we are in, currently.

I would like to also make it clear that people that use racist and bigoted attacks against Lamar are the ones who have created the hostile environment that has not been a safe place for these two women to come forward.

Between Lamar and people like the proponents of the recall against him, our city has been polarized into two groups. You are either 100% in support of Lamar or you are with the racists coming after him for the wrong reasons—no room has been left for legitimate criticisms and he is able to use this as a weapon against those who wish to speak out in disagreement. I already know all the responses this is going to get before this will happen and I would like everyone to understand the part that they play in the reason that these things have been able to continue happening.”

————–

Ferguson continued speaking for almost another nine minutes of why she thinks people have ignored Thorpe’s behavior which is due to their support of his policies and votes with which they agree, as well as calling on other victims of his to not be afraid to come forward.

“It does feel like attacks on Black elected officials. It does feel like an attack on progressive change,” she stated.

“There are women who have had these experiences with Lamar, and they are watching these statements,” Ferguson continued. “Someone who is dangerous and someone who is predatory toward women in office is not only wrong but a distraction from getting things done in this community.”

“I believe this is the right thing and it’s about time people stop protecting someone who hurts people,” she said. “And for the record, if you are someone who I referenced as someone who has been hurt in other ways and you do want to come forward, I want you to understand that there are people who believe you and there are people who will support you.”

“Not everyone is going to continue standing behind this person and it is safe for you to tell the truth,” Ferguson said. “I know that it can be scary when someone so powerful is so willing to ruin your reputation and take away things like your financial stability or other ways that he has threatened you because I know the ways he has threatened you. That can be really scary.”

“I know I am no one significant but I want to come forward just to say I will believe you. And I do,” she stated. “I’ll do everything that I can to make sure that your experience is not, you know, just carted off as someone, this person just wants to attack the mayor or hop on the bandwagon or anything because I know a lot of these stories to be true.”

“Thank you for everyone listening to the end,” Ferguson concluded.

Questions for Thorpe

Thorpe was asked via email Monday evening if anything in Ferguson’s video is not true, and if so, what. He was also asked if he had any other comment in response. Thorpe did not respond as of Tuesday at noon prior to publication time.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Mike Burkholder of eastcountytoday.net contributed to this report by providing Ferguson’s transcribed comments which are reprinted, here with permission.

Former LMCHD executive director and Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe.

While executive director at now-defunct healthcare district for $350K; he denies accusations

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica , Councilwoman Ogorchock call for his resignation; Councilwoman Wilson says that’s “racially divisive grandstanding”, Ogorchock responds

By Allen D. Payton

On Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to settle claims against Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe by two former female employees for $350,000 from when he was executive director of the now-defunct Los Medanos Community Healthcare District. Then in a press conference held Thursday afternoon, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock called for Thorpe to resign as mayor.

The healthcare district was disbanded, earlier this year, the county acts as the successor agency and now, receives the annual revenue estimated at $1.1 million. (See related article)

The women, whose names were provided in the documents as Bay Point resident Jasmine Cisneros and Antioch resident Jocelyn Munoz, filed their claims on February 22, 2022. The two made multiple accusations against Thorpe both on formal government forms and in a resignation letter from Munoz to healthcare district board president, Patt Young, including inappropriate touching and an incident of groping Cisneros while at a California Special Districts Association conference in Monterey.

Formal Claims

Cisneros claimed she worked for the healthcare district “as a Community Outreach Specialist from approximately early 2020 to November 4, 2021, when she was forced to resign her employment. Ms. Cisneros resigned due to sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, hostile working conditions, and other unlawful actions resulting from Executive Director Lamar Thorpe’s misconduct, and the District’s inaction, despite having knowledge of that misconduct. Ms. Cisneros has been injured as a result of Thorpe’s misconduct and the District’s inaction. Thorpe’s unwanted sexual advances, harassment, and other unlawful behavior continued until Ms. Cisneros resigned. Ms. Cisneros was forced to resign her employment as a result of Thorpe’s misconduct and the District’s inaction and has been harmed economically in the form of lost wages and emotional distress damages.” Cisneros.LMCHD Claim redacted

Munoz claims she worked for the district “for approximately eight months, from early 2021 to September 2, 2021, when she was forced to resign her position. Ms. Munoz’s [sic] resigned due to sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, hostile working conditions, and other unlawful actions resulting from Executive Director Lamar Thorpe’s misconduct, and the District’s inaction, despite having knowledge of that misconduct. See Exhibit A (Resignation letter). Thorpe’s unwanted sexual advances, harassment, and other unlawful behavior continued until Ms. Munoz resigned on September 2, 2021. Ms. Munoz has been injured as a result of Thorpe’s misconduct and the District’s inaction. Moreover, Ms. Munoz was forced to resign her employment as a result of Thorpe’s misconduct and the District’s inaction and has been harmed economically in the form of lost wages and emotional distress damages.” Munoz.LMCHD Claim & Letter redacted

Both claims show the amount of compensation sought “Exceeds $10,000”.

Munoz’s Resignation Letter Provides Details

In her resignation letter dated Sept. 3, 2021, Munoz provided details of two incidents involving Thorpe, including one at an Antioch restaurant and another during the conference in Monterey at which both ladies, one of their partners and Thorpe stayed the night in a hotel. The letter also mentions “many levels of harassment and very high levels of hostile working conditions from board members and management. LMCHD has a culture of disrespect, bullying and harassment,” including “board members berating staff during public meetings”.

“In the season of the AB 903 celebration in early July 2021, my partner and I met with the executive director for LMCHD, Lamar Thorpe at La Plazuela in Antioch, CA to socialize and celebrate the win,” she wrote. “While we were seated, Lamar came between my partner and I, looked down at my leg and grabbed my leg; specifically my calf. While still holding my calf, he acknowledged the act and said, ‘this is sexual harassment, should I stop’ and let go. In that same instance, my partner and I agreed to his statement and said, ‘yeah what are you doing?!’ Being fearful of my job, status and Lamars [sic] social status as Mayor of Antioch and executive director I felt his simple acknowledgement was sufficient and I physically moved on, but mentally I still felt trapped.”

“Following the traumatizing experience, I witnessed another horrifying act on August 30, 2021 at the CSDA conference where I saw Lamar inappropriately grope my colleague when we (my partner, my colleague and executive director) were out socializing and walking back to our hotel,” her letter continued. “Immediately following the grope, my colleague got my undivided attention, looked me in the eyes and said, ‘PLEASE walk me back to my room’. My partner and I escorted my colleague to her room, and Lamar opened his hotel room door to check on us and gave us a sinister look. At that moment, my partner and I left to our hotel room.”

“The next day on August 31, 2021 my colleague, my partner and I went to lunch and were discussing what other seminars to attend, that’s where Lamar joked about attending the ‘sexual harassment training and prevention’ and also joked about the inappropriate grope that happened the night before,” Munoz wrote. “Later that evening of August 31, 2021 my colleague, my partner and I were having dinner and Lamar texted us ‘are y’all coming to this reception?’ referring to the conference networking mix and mingle. We did not respond and saw Lamar walk by our table and he ignored us. A few minutes later Lamar approached our table and said ‘hey haters!’ and made two inappropriate hand gestures, showing his middle fingers and walked away.”

On the “evening of September 1, 2021 Lamar texted my colleague and I ‘yo, ya’ll wanna go to Rolando’s house’. I politely declined, and then I heard a knock at my hotel room door. I did not answer fearing that it was Lamar. A few seconds later Lamar called and asked if I was in my room, confirming that the knock was him. He requested to meet with me to have a discussion,” the letter continued. “During the discussion he acknowledged the level of discomfort that he was feeling about the conversation and also stated that he didn’t want to have it. He opened with ‘are we cool?’ At that moment I felt cornered, trapped, triggered and manipulated into having to relive the events that happened on Monday night. The conversation went on for 15 minutes to which he was trying to get a temperature check on the situation at hand. At the end of the conversation, he asked what he could do to make things better. We met up with my partner inside the restaurant where he then approached my partner apologized to him, shook his hand and excused himself.”

“The final day, September 2, 2021 as we were all exiting the conferenced, I approached Lamar…he then proceeded to walk with me and said, ‘you still don’t seem ok’ referring to the events from Monday and the conversation we had the night before…I quickly made an excuse to try to avoid anymore discussion regarding Monday night, but that didn’t help and I ended the conversation by stating I wouldn’t be comfortable with anymore continued unwanted advances,” Munoz added.

“I hope this reveals the level of unprofessionalism at LMCHD, and I hope that this matter gets resolved in the best and most appropriate way. These past events have severely hindered my efficiency at work, my mental health and I don’t know how I can support LMCHD as an employee,” the letter concluded.

No Admissions in Settlement Agreement

The settlement agreement signed in August by the two women and a representative of the county’s Risk Management, includes a “No Admissions” clause. That reads, “It is understood and agreed by the PARTIES that the promises and payments and consideration of this Agreement shall not be construed to be an admission of any liability or obligation by any Party to another Party, the District, the County, Thorpe, or any other person, and the Releasees expressly deny that they have breached any duty, obligation or agreement, or engaged in any tortious or wrongful activity, or that they are liable to the Claimants or any other person or party in any way, or that any injuries, damages or harms of any kind have been sustained by the Claimants.” Los Medanos – Cisneros-Munoz – Fully executed Settlement Agreement (08-23-2022)

Supervisors Explain Their Votes

Each of the county supervisors were asked why they voted to settle the claims. Board Chair Karen Mitchoff responded via email writing, “An independent investigation was performed and concluded it was likely the plaintiffs would prevail in litigation.  As with all such claims, the Board was presented with this information, discussed the matter and concluded it was best to settle the matter, thus saving litigation costs and a potentially higher jury award.”

Both Districts 2 and 3 Supervisors Candace Andersen and Diane Burgis issued the same response, writing, “the insurance carrier for the former Los Medanos Community Healthcare District, RSUI Group Inc, handled this case and provided counsel to defend the claims against the former District.  Following a mediation session among the parties, a settlement was reached. The Board of Supervisors approved the settlement solely in its capacity as the successor agency to the District. As the successor agency, the County was required to assume all liabilities of the former District, including the claims filed against the District.”

“I really don’t have any additional comments about the specifics of the case,” Andersen added.

Neither Supervisors John Gioia (District 1) nor Federal Glover (District 5) who represents portions of Antioch, responded prior to publication time.

Past Accusation Against Thorpe for Sexual Misconduct

It’s not the first time a woman has accused Thorpe of inappropriate sexual activity. As previously reported, while in college, Thorpe was found guilty of disorderly conduct for “lewd and indecent behavior” against a female student by Student Judicial Services at George Washington University, but he was acquitted of sexual harassment. Thorpe later lost an appeal to overturn the disorderly conduct charge. He has denied the incident ever occurred. In 2016, this reporter chose to believe him, and the Herald endorsed him for city council. (See related articles here and here)

Barbanica, Ogorchock Call for Thorpe’s Resignation

Barbanica and Ogorchock hold press conference Thursday afternoon, Sept. 15, 2022. Facebook Live video screenshot.

During a press conference held Thursday afternoon, at Barbanica’s business office, he and Ogorchock called for Thorpe’s resignation. The mayor pro tem said he had sent a letter to Thorpe earlier in the day asking him to resign but had not yet heard back.

“This is a distraction for our city. We have a city of 114,000 people and the council has very serious business to do, yet we are sidetracked in these meetings by these types of issues,” Barbanica stated. “I do not believe that the behavior that is suspected, not convicted, but suspected, here is not indicative of a leader within our community; our council and our mayor should be held to a higher standard.”

He should “step aside, resign and allow the council to move forward. That’s what we’re asking him to do,” he added.

Asked if they had read the documents, Ogorchock responded, “I did. I read them all, from their statements, the filings, their release.”

“As did I,” Barbanica added.

Asked for their analysis of what they read he said, “Very concerning.”

Ogorchock responded, “As a woman I felt, that’s why I’m asking for his resignation. This is inexcusable. We can’t behave in this manner and be in a leadership position. You just can’t do that.”

“I’m very disappointed in what I read…in the court documents,” Barbanica later said. “This is not what the citizens want in a leader.”

Questions for Thorpe Go Unanswered, Denies Allegations

Thorpe was asked Friday morning to respond to both the settlement and the calls for his resignation. He was also asked if anything included in the complaints from your two former female employees, true, if they both worked directly for him and how many employees worked at the district when he was executive director.

Thorpe was also asked if he had found a new job and what he is doing for work. He was also asked about a severance that he and the other district employees were each provided, and how long did or will it last.

Finally, Thorpe was asked if he hired the two women, approved their hiring or compensation, or involved in any way in their hiring process and if so, how.

He did not respond as of publication time Friday afternoon. However, according to an East Bay Times report, on Thursday, Thorpe issued a statement denying the allegations.

“I am wholeheartedly heart-broken by these allegations, as they are completely false. When I served as the executive director of the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District (LMCHD), I worked to create an environment that gave opportunities to members of our community that were historically marginalized, as I have always sought to make change through empowerment.

“As the members of my team at the LMCHD can attest, the environment that I created was one of positivity and respect. Although saddened by the allegations, I will not be making any comment about the individuals involved, as I want to continue believing in the good in people, and not allow for this moment to shut down my spirit of community.”

Former Board Chair Patt Young Found Allegations Against Thorpe “Unfounded”

When reached for comment about the allegations against Thorpe, former LMCHD Board Chair Patt Young, now a member of the Contra Costa Water District board, said, “I actually, reviewed the allegations, and it just wasn’t credible. He had and has my full support. I found the allegations to be unfounded.”

Asked what she did when she received Munoz’s letter in September, Young responded, “I forwarded, I always forward to our legal counsel. It had to go there, first.”

When asked if she was at the CSDA conference where one of the incidents is alleged to have occurred, Young said, “I was, but I wasn’t with them that evening.”

Asked if she or anyone from the board reached out to the two women, Young stated, “we couldn’t. It would be a violation of the law.”

Efforts to reach both Cisneros and Munoz for responses to the denials by Thorpe and Young were unsuccessful prior to publication time.

Wilson Labels Calls for Resignation “Racially Divisive Grandstanding”

In that same Times article, District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson claimed calls for Thorpe’s resignation by Barbanica and Ogorchock to be “racially divisive grandstanding”. Ogorchock is one of Wilson’s three challengers in this year’s council election, after Wilson, Thorpe and District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker drew and then approved a gerrymandered redistricting map, moving Ogorchock into District 4. (See related article)

Ogorchock Responds to Wilson’s Comments

In a post on her official Facebook page Friday morning, Ogorchock wrote, “After reading remarks made by Councilwoman Wilson in response to the press conference held yesterday with Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica and myself requesting Mayor Thorpe to resign appear to be a deflection of the real issues.

Councilwoman Wilson is ignoring that two women presented valid claims of sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, hostile working conditions and other unlawful actions. The real issue is the detailed actions of Mayor Thorpe as outlined by the two women under his direction as the executive director.

In speaking with County Supervisor Mitchoff this morning she said, and I quote “after the completion of the investigation and based on credible facts we settled the case”. The county, who took control of the defunct healthcare district, settled the case for $350k.

I stand by my statements made yesterday, and believe that Mayor Thorpe should resign.”

Former Councilwoman Supports Thorpe’s Resignation

“He ought to step down. Enough is enough. First drunk driving, arrested for that. Now, this. Come on. We deserve better in the city of Antioch. Get out,” stated former Antioch Councilwoman Norma Hernandez. “I’m very suspicious of all these allegations that have happened, way in the past and now, if they are true, and this is the mayor representing all of us in the city of Antioch.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.