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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallAnaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’s chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, accused her of using a racial slur and other misconduct in filings made through Ballinas’s attorney. Aitken denied using the slur. The allegations remain disputed, and reports published through Oct. 1, 2026, did not establish a final result from the city’s review.
What did the initial complaint allege?
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 the mayor home afterward. The letter alleged that, during those circumstances, Aitken used the phrase “dirty Mexican” about Ballinas. That wording is an allegation attributed to Lennemann’s letter, not an independently established fact. The Los Angeles Times reported on the letter and its allegations on Sept. 21.
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The letter also alleged that Aitken asked questions about Ballinas’s perceived sexuality during a June outing at Disneyland’s Club 33 and California Adventure’s 1901 Lounge. These accounts, too, are claims made in the letter.
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What did the later government claim add?
A separate, 25-page government claim dated Sept. 21 expanded the allegations. In its Oct. 1 report, the Los Angeles Times said the claim alleged remarks concerning Ballinas’s race, perceived sexuality and Catholic faith; a recurring pattern of alcohol consumption at official and other events; and retaliation and workplace harm. It also alleged that Aitken looked through former City Manager Jim Vanderpool’s personal belongings and photographed prescription bottles. These are allegations in a filing, not findings. The Oct. 1 report describes the later claim.
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The mediation letter and the government claim are distinct documents filed on different dates. The city released a redacted version of the later claim before a closed City Council session, according to the same report. Ballinas and Lennemann could not be reached for additional comment for that report; that absence of comment does not confirm or disprove the claims.
How has Aitken responded?
Aitken denied using the racial slur and said she had supported 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 and that she would cooperate with a review. The report published Oct. 1 includes her denial.
At a Sept. 22 City Council meeting, Aitken said she was limited in what she could say and asked residents to consider her record, initiatives, the communities she had stood beside, her words and her demonstrated values. She repeated her remarks in Spanish, according to the Los Angeles Times report published Sept. 23.
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What is known about the city’s review?
City spokesman Mike Lyster told the Los Angeles Times, “We’re reviewing the issues raised.” The cited reports described a review underway but did not report a final investigative finding. They therefore do not establish whether the allegations were substantiated or rejected.
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Timeline of the filings and public response
| Date | Milestone | What the cited reports establish |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 11, 2026 | Mediation letter | Ballinas’s attorney sent a letter seeking mediation and alleging the conduct described above. |
| Sept. 21, 2026 | Government claim | A separate claim broadened the allegations, as reported Oct. 1. |
| Sept. 22, 2026 | Council meeting | Aitken addressed residents and said she was limited in what she could say. |
| As reported through Oct. 1, 2026 | City review | The city said it was reviewing the issues; the cited reporting supplied no final result. |
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