Police chief sues city, alleges council conspired to replace her over age and ethnicity
Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy has filed a lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court alleging city leaders secretly conspired to push her out of the department because of her age and ethnicity. The complaint, filed in May, names four members of the City Council and the city manager and accuses elected officials of vetting a younger, Latino law-enforcement official to replace her.
The suit is notable not only for its charge that city officials coordinated Kennedy’s removal but for its central allegation that members of Chula Vista’s Latino-majority council targeted her because she is white. Roughly 60% of Chula Vista residents identify as Latino, and the complaint identifies four council members — Carolina Chavez, Jose Preciado, Cesar Fernandez and Michael Inzunza — as defendants. City Manager Tiffany Allen is also named. Mayor John McCann, the council’s fifth member, is not included in the filing.
| Official | Role | Named in Suit |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Chavez | Council member | Yes |
| Jose Preciado | Council member | Yes |
| Cesar Fernandez | Council member, deputy mayor | Yes |
| Michael Inzunza | Council member | Yes |
| John McCann | Mayor | No |
| Tiffany Allen | City manager | Yes |
Most council members have declined to comment on the matter, citing the lawsuit’s pending status. In the limited responses that have been made public, Deputy Mayor Cesar Fernandez said he was blindsided and disappointed by the accusations.
“It was hurtful and very upsetting for me to hear,” Fernandez told KPBS. “It felt like you're pointing the finger at me because I'm Latino. And I've done absolutely nothing that's been alleged.”
In a written statement, a Chula Vista spokesperson called Kennedy's allegation that city officials conspired to replace her entirely false and criticized the claim as relying on “a racist assumption that Latino leaders cannot act with professionalism and integrity.” The statement did not elaborate on any internal review or investigative steps the city may be taking in response to the lawsuit.
Legal scholars consulted by KPBS said the initial court filing raises questions but includes limited supporting evidence. Three law professors who study civil rights and discrimination law reviewed the complaint and told KPBS the pleading provided little in the way of documentary or corroborating proof for the discrimination claims contained within it.
The complaint’s central accusation — that council members secretly vetted a younger, Latino law-enforcement official in a nearby jurisdiction —, if proven, would raise complex legal issues about employment decisions made by elected officials and the standards for proving disparate treatment based on age and ethnicity. At the same time, the assertions have prompted political and community concern because they attach claims of racial motivation to the conduct of elected Latino leaders in a city where Latinos make up a majority of residents and, currently, the majority of the council.
Local stakes and next steps
For Chula Vista residents, the lawsuit puts a spotlight on the relationship between the police chief and city leadership and on the processes by which top public-safety leadership are selected or replaced. It also raises broader questions about how claims of discrimination are handled within municipal governance and the evidentiary threshold required to sustain such allegations in court.
- Chief Roxana Kennedy’s complaint was filed in May in San Diego County Superior Court.
- Four council members and the city manager are named as defendants; the mayor is not named.
- Legal experts say the initial filing contains limited evidence supporting the discrimination claims.
The case is ongoing. Because several city officials have declined to comment while litigation proceeds, public information remains limited to the contents of the complaint and a handful of statements to the press. The lawsuit could prompt discovery that brings additional facts to light or, alternately, could be resolved through settlement or dismissal depending on what evidence emerges.
Residents and civic observers will be watching for court filings and any formal city responses as the legal process unfolds.
