Gardena council adopts censure against Councilmember Wanda Love after investigator’s report

The Gardena City Council voted 3–2 on Aug. 12 to adopt Resolution No. 6709 censuring Councilmember Wanda Love after the council reviewed an outside investigator’s executive summary and a redacted investigation report. Mayor Serta, Mayor Pro Tem Tanaka and Councilmember Henderson voted to adopt the resolution; Councilmember Francis and Councilmember Love voted no. The measure removes Councilmember Love’s authority to allocate funds from the city’s community discretionary fund and orders three training sessions provided by the city’s special labor counsel, to be paid by the city, within 90 days of adoption.

The executive summary read into the record by the city attorney summarized findings from a confidential investigation prepared by independent investigator Jeffrey Love (report dated May 27, 2025) and a separate summary prepared by special counsel Scott Tiedemann of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore. The investigator concluded, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Councilmember Love made false or misleading statements about the Department of Recreation and Human Services (DRHS), discussed concerns about the city manager with subordinate employees at a public event, and disclosed the identities and substance of complaints made by city employees to other employees.

Why it matters: The censure is a formal condemnation; it does not remove a councilmember from office nor strip statutory rights or pay but is used as an official public statement that the council does not condone the behavior…