Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Complaint topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges independent probe into Community Services director after alleged mistreatment at congregate meal site
Summary
A long-time Lawndale resident publicly accused Community Services Director Jason Mentor of verbal abuse, discrimination and mismanagement tied to the city’s congregate meals program and asked the council to fund an impartial external investigation; council members said they supported pursuing an inquiry but no formal action was taken at the meeting.
Gary Adams, a 45-year Lawndale resident, used the meeting’s public-comment period to call for an independent investigation into alleged misconduct by the city’s Community Services director, Jason Mentor. Adams said the complaint stems from incidents at the city’s congregate-meals program and alleged verbal abuse, harassment, intimidation, civil-rights violations and unequal treatment. He asked the council to approve funds for an impartial investigation and requested a written findings report within 10 business days.
Council members responded during member remarks, with Council Member Frank Tel and others expressing support for pursuing an investigation and offering to testify or supply information. Tel said an inquiry “is going to show who actually is the instigator of these situations” and volunteered to provide his account. Council members also clarified that public-record requests are acceptable if submitted verbally but advised submitting written requests to the city clerk’s office for efficiency.
City staff did not announce any immediate formal disciplinary action or commit the council to a specific independent investigator during the meeting. Later in the session the council entered closed session on personnel-appointment and potential litigation items; upon return the city attorney reported that the council had been briefed on both matters and that no reportable action was taken.
What happened next: the council took no formal vote at the March 16 meeting to open the external investigation requested by Adams. Several council members publicly encouraged staff to pursue appropriate next steps and indicated willingness to provide testimony or other information.
Context and why it matters: the complaint alleges violations of administrative and program standards in a city-run program serving older residents. If the council or the city manager’s office opens a formal independent inquiry, the city would need to define the scope, pick an external investigator or firm and determine the timeline and funding source. During remarks, council members framed the request as a matter of oversight and accountability for a program that serves seniors.
Next steps noted in the meeting: council members said they want staff to pursue records searches and fact-finding; staff and the city attorney did not announce a timetable, and the public-records process and any investigatory funding were not resolved on the record at this meeting.
