Los Gatos Council Meeting Disrupted During Public Comment Again

LOS GATOS, CA — For the second time in three council meetings, the Los Gatos Town Council had to remove the public from council chambers following a disruption during the public comment period.

A couple of speakers at Tuesday's meeting directed attacks at Mayor Marico Sayoc and her family. One person shouted from the back of the room at the mayor.

Sayoc called for a five-minute recess, but “the disorder increased and police were required to clear the chamber and lock the doors,” Vice Mayor Rob Rennie said in an email to Patch after the meeting.

The Los Gatan reported that Sayoc's husband confronted one of the speakers, Cyndi Sheehan, and he had to be restrained by police and the mayor.

The council waited about 45 minutes before resuming the meeting to allow the public to go home to stream the meeting online.

Related: Los Gatos 'Public Health Crisis': Police Face Dispatcher Shortage

Rennie said that the disruptive comments came from “eight to 10 people” who were unhappy with recent decisions by the Town Council intended to improve inclusivity, such as painting a rainbow strip next to the crosswalks near Los Gatos High School, approving the use of gender-neutral pronouns in ordinances and hiring a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant.

Critics accused the council of turning Los Gatos into a “communist town,” brought signs criticizing the mayor and “have been picking on her for many meetings” and on social media, according to Rennie.

Rennie said comments directed toward Sayoc's family crossed the line.

“As elected officials, it is our job to take criticism, but it is not acceptable to attack other speakers, members of the public, or members of councilmembers’ family,” Rennie said.

The only scheduled topic on the agenda Tuesday was an informational item updating the town’s efforts to address a police dispatcher shortage, but the disruption delayed the meeting.

After calling for a recess, Sayoc left the meeting. Rennie, who took over, said she went home to take care of her family. Sayoc did not respond to a request for comment.

“We are the elected officials,” she said in response to one speaker. “And there is no need to harass minors in our community.”

Tuesday’s incident followed a Sept. 7 meeting in which the public also had to be removed from the room after comments about the town’s police dispatcher shortage escalated tensions.