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Public commenter alleges a committee member knew of abuse in city‑funded program; member denies knowledge of firsthand reports
Summary
A public commenter alleged that committee member Jennifer Friedenbach was aware of a cover‑up of abuse at a city‑funded nonprofit; Friedenbach said she heard rumors but did not have firsthand knowledge and that she called police in the reported instance.
During the meeting's public comment period on Jan. 23, a San Francisco resident identified as Michael Taylor (who said people call him "Free") alleged that Jennifer Friedenbach, a committee member and director of the nonprofit Coalition on Homelessness, was aware of a cover‑up of sexual abuse at a nonprofit program funded by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.
Taylor said he met Friedenbach in fall 2023 and that, during that meeting, she "explicitly acknowledged to me that she had knowledge of a cover up of the [sexual] abuses and that it involved members of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing." He said he repeatedly attempted to contact Friedenbach and the Coalition on Homelessness afterward and received no reply.
At a later public‑comment time in the meeting Taylor raised the same concerns and asked the committee to adopt a policy ensuring that reports of abuse raised during committee‑related listening sessions would be properly reported to law enforcement or adult protective services.
Friedenbach responded in the meeting, saying she had told Taylor she had heard a rumor about a cover‑up but did not have firsthand knowledge. "I did call the police after this gentleman came to my office and let the Hade Police Station know this. They told me that because I didn't have any direct knowledge, I couldn't do anything, and that people who did experience this needed to file police reports for action," she said. Friedenbach said a contractor had subsequently lost funding but that she did not know the exact reason.
The committee did not take a formal action in response to the allegation during the meeting. Members and staff acknowledged the commenters request that the committee develop a clear policy for how allegations raised during committee outreach would be reported and said they would take the concern under advisement when planning listening sessions.
No law enforcement or case details were provided during the meeting. The committee's staff note that if complaints are reported during future listening sessions the committee will need to follow applicable reporting requirements and clarify who (staff, liaison or provider) is responsible for reporting suspected abuse.
