EBMUD board director accused of racially-motivated conduct

Artist commissioned to display her works in honor of Black History Month filed a complaint following a dispute involving a board director's parking space; EBMUD to address incident, next steps, today

East Bay MUD Board Director April Chan represents Castro Valley and surrounding areas.

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—A member of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Board of Directors is facing allegations that she exhibited racially-motivated and belittling behavior toward an artist who was parked in a space designated for members of the board.

The EBMUD Board of Directors will discuss this afternoon whether to temporarily remove District 7 Director April Chan as vice-president of the board, and as chair of its planning committee, pending an independent investigation of the incident on March 27.

In the meantime, EBMUD Board President Marguerite Young asked that Chan not represent the district at public events and meetings, and Chan agreed.

Tiffany Conway, an artist whose works were displayed at the EBMUD’s administrative office last month in honor of Black History Month, was in the process of uninstalling her exhibit when Chan questioned her use of a board director’s parking space, according to a complaint sent to the board.

Conway also posted her account of the incident on Instagram.

Conway was given permission to use the parking space, she told Chan, according to the complaint.

“Rather than acknowledge my response, she rolled her eyes, moved her neck in a dismissive manner, and walked away mid-conversation,” Conway wrote.

Chan later reported Conway to the building’s security. “I felt it was a clear and unnecessary escalation of the situation,” she continued. Conway confronted Chan and asked for an apology.

“Instead of responding with professionalism, she pointed to her picture on the Board’s display and condescendingly emphasized her position. She then left and returned with security.”

“When I asked for her name, email, and the contact information of her supervisor, she dismissively responded that she answers to no one but the 270,000 people who elected her,” Conway wrote.

Chan was elected to the District 7 seat in 2022, and represents Castro Valley, in addition to portions of San Leandro, Hayward, San Lorenzo, Fairview, Cherryland, and San Ramon in Contra Costa County. Chan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chan claimed that Conway threatened her and asked for a security escort, according to the complaint. Conway said the claim is false.

After Conway documented the incident for security, she again asked for an apology from Chan, “who responded by laughing and cackling at me, further demeaning my experience.”

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