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Council asks parks department to pause community‑center leadership transfers after outcry at McFarland
Summary
Council members pressed parks officials Feb. 4 to halt staff moves at McFarland Community Center and other centers. Vice Chair Swearington Washington and colleagues argued directors are community anchors and should be consulted before reassignment; administration agreed to delay further moves and to increase stakeholder engagement.
Council members demanded on Feb. 4 that the parks department immediately pause planned leadership reassignments at McFarland Community Center and other city recreation centers after receiving a wave of calls from residents and school officials.
Councilwoman Swearington Washington asked the Parks Committee to reconsider the movement of Ms. Gloria Watkins from McFarland Community Center, saying Watkins “has a rapport with the children, with the parents” and is a community fixture who helps de‑escalate conflicts and connect families to services. Swearington Washington said she received multiple letters of support, including from a principal at Evans Elementary School, and urged department leaders to prioritize continuity for vulnerable youth.
Councilwoman Cooper Sutton supported the call, saying center directors build trust with parents, students, and community members and that staff reassignments that disrupt those relationships risk undermining neighborhood safety and programming. Several council members said the parks interim leadership and HR should engage more deliberately with supervisors, impacted employees and community stakeholders before making transfers.
Interim parks leadership told the committee it would "double down" on deliberate planning and stakeholder engagement and confirmed that there would be no immediate moves. The administration committed to one‑on‑one meetings with councilmembers and to convene meetings at community centers to socialize any future leadership changes.
Committee members asked parks administration to return with a clear communications and transfer protocol that includes advance notification to council offices, input from neighborhood stakeholders and a timeline for any proposed reassignments.
