Antisemitic Remarks Shut Down Laguna Beach City Council Meeting

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A Laguna Beach City Council meeting was interrupted Tuesday with racial slurs, homophobic remarks and antisemitic language, prompting the council to end the meeting early and suspend its conclusion.

The first interruption occurred roughly 50 minutes into the regular meeting during the public comment session. Over video chat, three speakers used antisemitic language, and one person shouted racial slurs while making references to Black History Month.

The second interruption happened during public comments about an ad- hoc committee report on a design project. The speaker used antisemitic and homophobic language and racial slurs.

City Attorney Megan Garibaldi called the comments embarrassing and asked those who were offended by the remarks to leave the meeting room or turn off their speakers.

After giving time for people to leave the room, the speaker resumed making offensive remarks. The council took a recess and stopped the meeting after the speaker's time expired.

"On behalf of my City Council colleagues, I regret the distressing incident of 'Zoom bombing' that disrupted our meeting. Our community's dedication to civic engagement is commendable, and we are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment. Together, we will continue to uphold our values of inclusivity, respect, and integrity," Mayor Sue Kempf said in a statement.

"We extend our gratitude to the dedicated staff and officials who handled the situation with professionalism and commend those who attended the meeting. Our community deserves a safe, respectful, and professional environment in all public meetings."

About 10 minutes after the third interruption, more speakers made offensive remarks. The council eventually suspended the meeting and planned to continue it at a later date.

Laguna Beach has adapted teleconferencing technology into public meetings over the past four years, City Manager Sean Joyce said in a statement.

"However, this also means vulnerability to Zoom bombing incidents. The city will continue to adjust its protocols to protect meetings and allow residents to engage in the democratic process," Joyce said in the statement.

City News Service contributed to this report.