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Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’s chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, accused her of drinking at city functions and using a racial slur, according to a Sept. 11, 2026 mediation letter from Ballinas’s attorney. A later government claim added allegations about other remarks, conduct and retaliation. Aitken denied using the slur, and the city said it was reviewing the issues; the cited reports do not establish a final finding.
What did the complaint accuse Anaheim’s mayor of saying and doing?
The allegations concern Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and her chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas. In a Sept. 11, 2026 letter seeking mediation with the city, Ballinas’s attorney, Lawrence Lennemann, alleged that Aitken had been drinking at city functions and that Ballinas sometimes drove her home afterward. The letter alleged that, on those occasions, Aitken used the racial insult quoted in the filing. These are allegations by Ballinas’s lawyer, not established findings. The Los Angeles Times reported on the mediation letter.
The same letter alleged that during a June outing at Disneyland’s Club 33 and California Adventure’s 1901 Lounge, Aitken asked questions about Ballinas’s perceived sexuality. The claims concern what Ballinas’s lawyer says happened; the reports do not independently establish the disputed events.
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How did the allegations change in the later government claim?
A separate, 25-page government claim dated Sept. 21 broadened the allegations. In its Oct. 1 report, the Los Angeles Times said it included alleged remarks about Ballinas’s race, perceived sexuality and Catholic faith, as well as claims of retaliation and workplace harm. It also alleged a recurring pattern of alcohol consumption at official and other events, and that Aitken looked through former City Manager Jim Vanderpool’s personal belongings and photographed prescription bottles. These remain claims in a filing, not adjudicated or otherwise established findings. The report describes the later government claim.
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The Oct. 1 report said the city released a redacted version of the government claim before a closed City Council session. Ballinas and Lennemann could not be reached for additional comment for that report; that absence of comment does not verify or disprove the allegations.
What has Aitken and the city said?
Aitken denied using the racial slur and rejected the implication that she did not support the LGBTQ community. In a statement reported by the Los Angeles Times, she said: “I did not use the racial slur attributed to me and I have always been a champion of the LGBTQ community.” She also said the allegations deserved investigation.
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At a Sept. 22 council meeting, Aitken said she was limited in what she could say and asked residents to consider her record, initiatives, communities she had stood beside, words and demonstrated values. She repeated the statement in Spanish, according to the Sept. 23 report. Aitken said she would cooperate with a review. The Los Angeles Times reported on her council response.
The city’s reported response was limited: “We’re reviewing the issues raised,” city spokesman Mike Lyster told the Los Angeles Times in its report on the initial letter. The cited reports say a review was underway but do not give a final investigative result. They therefore do not establish that the allegations were substantiated or that Aitken was exonerated.
Which documents and dates matter?
| Date | Milestone | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 11, 2026 | Ballinas’s attorney sent a mediation letter seeking mediation with Anaheim. | The letter made allegations about alcohol at city functions, a racial slur and questions about perceived sexuality. Los Angeles Times, Sept. 21 |
| Sept. 21, 2026 | A separate government claim was dated. | The later claim broadened the allegations; it is distinct from the earlier mediation letter. Los Angeles Times, Oct. 1 |
| Sept. 22, 2026 | Aitken addressed the allegations at a City Council meeting. | She denied the slur, said she would cooperate with review, and spoke about her record and values. Los Angeles Times, Sept. 23 |
| Oct. 1, 2026 | The Los Angeles Times reported on the later government claim. | The report described the city’s release of a redacted claim and Aitken’s response to some allegations; it did not report a final review finding. Los Angeles Times, Oct. 1 |
What is known about the city review?
The city said it was reviewing the issues raised, and Aitken said she would cooperate. As of the cited Los Angeles Times reports dated Sept. 21, Sept. 23 and Oct. 1, no final investigative finding was reported. The allegations should therefore be described as claims, and the mayor’s denial as her response, rather than as a resolution of the dispute.
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