An unprecedented 'double censure' is on the table in San Leandro
Censure hearing set for January.
☕️MORNING BUZZ
—Two San Leandro councilmembers could be facing censure for the second time in just over a year, a development that may be unprecedented in East Bay political history.
On Monday night, San Leandro officials scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Jan. 20 to consider possible punishment for Councilmembers Fred Simon and Victor Aguilar, Jr. following accusations they mistreated Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen.
Successful censures of elected officials are rare. Only a handful have occurred in East Bay government over the past two decades, which makes the prospect of a second censure against the same individuals for some of the same behaviors all the more remarkable.
—The council also agreed to hold a separate vote on Jan. 5 to consider waiving attorney-client privilege and releasing the investigative report into Bowen’s allegations.
What happens if the council declines to release the report remains unclear. Without public access to its findings, the Jan. 20 censure hearing may lack access to sufficient evidence.
When potential disciplinary action was discussed at the Nov. 3 meeting, councilmembers generally believed censure was no longer being considered.
Mayor Juan Gonzalez acknowledged this assumption Monday night and expressed concerns about waiving attorney-client privilege, citing unspecified legal advice provided in closed session.
But Bowen surprised many by including the full range of possible penalties in her motion—from a formal reprimand up to censure.
Bowen said she filed her complaint after “eight months of what felt like relentless misconduct,” adding that she saw “no course correction” from her colleagues and worried that without formal action, “there would be a next person up here” subjected to similar treatment.
The vote to schedule the Jan. 20 censure hearing passed narrowly, 4–3, with the embattled trio of Simon, Aguilar, and Councilmember Bryan Azevedo opposing.
Simon and Aguilar, Jr. were censured by the council in November 2024 following release of an independent investigative report triggered by allegations by the former city manager that they threatened her employment if she fired the city’s police chief. Allegations of gender bias could not be substantiated by the investigator.
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