Ventura says 'no' to councilmember's bullying claims
Ventura City Councilmember Liz Campos, who has accused a former city executive of bullying, said an investigation into her allegations failed to acknowledge her experience as a person with a disability.
Campos, who uses a wheelchair, has accused former acting City Manager Akbar Alikhan of bullying her during a closed-session meeting in May 2023 when he allegedly didn't let her leave the room until she took a certain position on an issue.
The City Council voted on April 9 to accept the results of a city-led investigation into Campos’ allegations, which determined she was not harassed or bullied. The probe was headed by a consultant hired by the city. Campos abstained from the vote.
Alikhan, who left Ventura last year and is now the deputy city manager in Thousand Oaks, denies Campos’ accusations.
“The results of the investigation clearly shows any such allegations were patently false,” Alikhan said in a text message last week.
The council voted 5-1 to receive and file the report. Councilmember Mike Johnson voted no because he said he wasn't given the full investigative report and felt the investigation was incomplete and should continue.
Campos said she was the target of bullying by Alikhan during the closed-session meeting concerning potential censure of Johnson. She said during the meeting she had concerns about Johnson being denied due process. Campos recalled telling Alikhan she intended to leave, but alleges he stood up and blocked her when she started to roll toward the door. The room was not wheelchair accessible, Campos said, and she couldn't get out.
"It was horribly frightening to me to sit through the rest of the meeting," she said.
Campos said she didn't participate in the investigation on the advice of her personal attorney.
“They wanted to interview me on the phone and ask rapid-fire questions,” Campos said. “I had a brain injury. … I’m intelligent but I need to think before I respond. I said, ‘Can you give me the questions in writing?’ They said, ‘Absolutely not.’”
The third-party investigation from attorney Allison Underwood cost $7,679.49, according to Heather Sumagaysay, spokesperson for the city. The investigation is complete, she said.
The city has not released the complete report to the public. Campos said she has not seen it.
The executive summary and the investigation report are privileged and confidential under attorney-client communication and attorney work product privileges, Sumagaysay said.
The council voted to waive applicable privileges for the executive summary and it was attached to the staff report, she said.
Three speakers at the April 9 meeting spoke during public comment in support of Campos.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura says 'no' to councilmember's bullying claims
