Los Gatos Vows To Fix 'Unprecedented Hateful Speech' At Meetings

LOS GATOS, CA — The town of Los Gatos is working with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office in an effort to curb escalating tensions at council meetings, and Town Attorney Robert Schultz sent letters warning those who have interrupted recent meetings, Town Manager Laurel Prevetti said in a letter Friday.

Prevetti responded to an Oct. 14 joint letter by state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) and Assemblymember Evan Low (D-San Jose), who described their concern over a “disturbing number of attacks” against Los Gatos Mayor Marico Sayoc and her family, both in council chambers and at her residence.

Cortese and Low’s letter, which asked Prevetti what actions the town was taking to prevent the “bullying and harassment of elected officials,” was also sent to California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen.

A spokesperson for Rosen confirmed to Patch that the district attorney's office is working with town officials on the matter.

The attorney general's office said it was aware of the town's letter and plans to review it, adding in a statement to Patch: "Bottom line: there is no place for discrimination or harassment in California. Period."

Speakers made anti-LGBTQ and anti-vaccine comments at council meetings directed at Sayoc and her family, which Prevetti characterized as “unprecedented hateful and inappropriate speech.”

“The Town of Los Gatos takes the safety and security of the Mayor, Council, and all members of the community very seriously,” Prevetti said. “This is one of our highest priorities as public servants and we are using all legal means to protect our elected officials.”

Speakers disrupted both the Sept. 7 and Oct. 5 in-person council meetings during the public comment period, and the meetings were delayed until the public was cleared from the chambers. The town announced earlier this month that meetings would return to being held virtually only.

A group of "eight to 10 people" are 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, Vice Mayor Rob Rennie told Patch earlier this month.

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.

The people have been warned of the “consequences of their actions and future enforcement should they continue the unwanted behavior,” Prevetti said.

After the town switched back to remote meetings, the council “needs to conduct the business of the Town during its Town Council meetings,” Prevetti told Patch.

The council passed an urgency ordinance prohibiting protests within 300 feet of a residence after protesters gathered outside the homes of both Sayoc and Rennie during the Oct. 19 meeting, which was held virtually.

Proposed Updates

At its next meeting Tuesday, the council will consider approving updates to its council meeting policy and updating sections pertaining to behavior expectations and maintaining civility.

Among the proposed updates is a requirement that all public comments “must pertain to items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Town and shall not contain slanderous statements, hatred, and bigotry against non-public officials.”

Another update allows the mayor to call for a recess, the audio and video to be cut immediately, and the council to exit the chamber if the policy is violated by a member of the public. Depending on the “extent of the disturbance,” staff would determine whether to remove all members of the public from the chambers, in which case only members of the press would be allowed back in the meeting upon resumption.

Prevetti did not elaborate on the town’s engagement with the district attorney’s office so as not to “compromise these efforts,” she said in the letter. Los Gatos has an anti-harassment policy protecting all employees, including elected officials, but the policy does not extend to family members of elected officials.

The town is working to strengthen the policy to include anti-bullying measures and others to deal with inappropriate behavior, Prevetti added. The town uses "other mechanisms" to protect family members of elected officials, such as law enforcement, according to Prevetti.

Prevetti, who is separately facing criticism from the president of the police union over a shortage of 911 dispatchers, is scheduled for a performance evaluation along with Schultz on Monday in a closed session.

In the letter, Prevetti urged Cortese and Low to work on state legislation addressing disruptions during public meetings. Los Gatos is not the only South Bay jurisdiction dealing with unruly in-person attendees as councils attempt to return to pre-pandemic norms. Similar situations have played out in Gilroy and San Jose.

“A State-wide strategy would help all elected officials focus on the business needs for which they have been elected to serve,” Prevetti said.

Click here to read the proposed changes to the council meeting policy. The next Town Council meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday. Click here for the agenda.

Read more:

• Los Gatos Council Returns To Virtual Meetings After Disruptions
• Los Gatos Council Meeting Disrupted During Public Comment Again
• Los Gatos 'Public Health Crisis': Police Face Dispatcher Shortage