SF supervisors press Lennar for formal apology after armed security operative at Bayview meeting

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on Lennar Corporation to issue a formal written apology to the Bayview Hunters Point community and members of the Stop Lennar Action Movement, after a private security operative contracted to Lennar entered a community meeting on Feb. 18 carrying a concealed firearm.

The resolution, introduced by Supervisor David Daly, passed as amended after several hours of debate. Supervisors approved language adding the Bayview Hunters Point community to the apology’s recipients and softened one phrasing to say the incident “placed attendees in potential danger.” Two proposed edits to broaden or strike critical language were tied and therefore not included. The final vote on the amended resolution was 8–2 in favor.

The incident at issue occurred at a community meeting hosted at the Center for Self-Improvement, at the site of the Nation of Islam mosque on Third Street, where about 200 people were present. A man, identified subsequently as a retired San Francisco police officer working for Verasys — a security company under contract with Lennar — is reported to have been recording the meeting, signed in under an alias and, when asked, gave a different false name. Meeting organizers asked him to stop recording and asked whether he was carrying a weapon; he initially denied it and said it was his wallet. He was escorted from the building and handcuffed; police cited him for trespassing and released him from the Ingleside station shortly thereafter, according to testimony at the supervisors’ committee hearing.

In committee and at Tuesday’s meeting, Supervisor Daly said letters that Lennar’s president Kofi Bonner sent (dated March 15 and April 15) fell short of the apology the community sought, noting the letters were sent to Daly personally rather than to the meeting hosts or the community. Daly argued an adequate apology would acknowledge that a firearm had been brought to the Nation of Islam center, accept responsibility for the chain of events, and describe corrective actions to prevent recurrence. “These facts rise to the level that Lennar Urban should issue a formal apology to the coalition who convened this meeting, and to the City and County of San Francisco,” Daly said during the remarks introducing the resolution.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty proposed two narrow edits that the board adopted: inserting “Bayview Hunters Point community” alongside the Stop Lennar Action Movement as recipients of a formal apology, and changing a phrase describing the incident from “placing them in great danger” to “placing them in potential danger.” Dufty said he supported the resolution but sought the wordsmithing to reflect the record and to broaden the apology’s intended audience to all Bayview residents who might have been affected.

Several supervisors praised the committee hearing that examined the incident and said they wanted a clearer corrective plan from Lennar and its contractors. Others, including a member who said a fuller investigation was still under way, urged caution before adopting new penalties or findings that could interfere with legal or administrative reviews.

Lennar Urban president Kofi Bonner and Verasys produced letters to the supervisors and to committee members after the incident; the resolution and public discussion referenced those letters and a separate letter from the attorney for the individual who brought the firearm. Supervisor Daly said the board and the community want a direct apology to those harmed and a clear description of the steps Lennar and its subcontractors will take to prevent similar incidents in future community engagement.

The resolution asks Lennar to issue a formal apology to the Bayview community and members of Stop Lennar Action Movement, and to the City and County of San Francisco; it also calls on Lennar to work with coalition members and community leaders to improve protocols for developer outreach. Two motions to sever additional paragraphs were tied 5–5 and therefore failed; the resolution as amended passed 8–2.

The board’s action does not impose fines or require specific corrective measures; it is a formal statement asking Lennar and associated contractors to respond in writing and to engage with the community on corrective plans. Several supervisors said they remained available to help facilitate a community conversation between Lennar and the coalition.

What’s next: the resolution asks Lennar to issue the apology as requested and to engage with community leaders. The board did not set a deadline within the text of the resolution; supervisors said they expect follow-up through the mayor’s office and committee staff.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke at the April 20 Board of Supervisors meeting; their remarks are captured in the meeting record.