Community groups tell Orange County board the grand jury's 'hate' report left out Muslim, Arab and other communities

Community leaders told the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26 that the recent county grand jury report on hate undercounted or omitted the experiences of Arab, Muslim, Black, Asian, Latino and LGBTQ residents, and urged the board to restore the Human Relations Commission's capacity and funding.

Basha Jamil, policy manager at CARE LA, said the grand jury report “largely misses the experiences of Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian residents” and recommended the board invest in community-based reporting channels and restore funding for the Human Relations Commission so underreported incidents can be captured. “We strongly urge the board to invest in and fully support the Orange County Human Relations Commission,” Jamil said.

Nikki Uy, Stop the Hate program manager at the Orange County AAPI Community Alliance, told the board that heavy reliance on law-enforcement data undercounts incidents in schools and other places where communities fear reporting. Uy said organizations the alliance funds have reported incidents — including students being targeted in schools — that were not reflected in the grand jury findings.

Rashaad Aldabag, executive director of the Arab American Civic Council, said the county’s public proclamations are welcome but symbolic unless the county “include us also when it matters.” He urged the board to center Arab, Muslim and Palestinian voices in future hate-incident reporting and to reinstate substantive partnerships with trusted community organizations.

Board members acknowledged the criticism. Supervisor Katrina Foley said the Human Relations Commission is developing a more inclusive methodology for tracking hate incidents that will incorporate information beyond law-enforcement reports, and she noted grants to increase community education and outreach. Supervisor Sarmiento asked staff to return with a report showing the HRC’s outreach work and a comparative analysis of bylaws and frameworks from neighboring counties such as San Diego.

Several supervisors said the county should consider right-sizing the commission, restoring meeting frequency and potentially engaging a consultant to help rebuild capacity after the earlier Groundswell contract ended. The board approved staff recommendations responding to the grand jury with the requested clarifications and directed staff to return with quarterly updates and an assessment of the HRC’s bylaws and strategic framework.

The discussion concluded with a direction to the CEO’s office and relevant departments to consider how best to strengthen the county’s hate-incident monitoring and community outreach work, and to coordinate with the district attorney’s office and community partners to improve reporting and victim support.