Long Beach City Council is expected to consider whether to formally discipline Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce for conduct ranging from potential sexual harassment, conflicts of interest and failure to follow the city’s Code of Ethics.
An agenda item authored by Councilmembers Al Austin, Suzie Price, Daryl Supernaw and Dee Andrews will be brought before the council at Tuesday’s meeting, recommending that the city council vote to censure Pearce.
A censure is a disciplinary procedure under Robert’s Rules of Order, a manual for parliamentary procedures, which names a particular member of the legislative body as an offender.
The last time the council censured a colleague was in 1993, when it unanimously voted to censure a councilmember for “highly inflammatory and prejudicial” statements he made in a public forum, according to the item.
The council members pointed to criminal investigations into allegations of domestic battery and driving under the influence against Pearce stemming from an incident last June involving her and her former chief of staff, with whom she had a relationship for three years.
While those allegations did not result in charges against Pearce, the information revealed has raised questions of potential sexual harassment, conflicts of interest and failure to adhere to the city’s code of ethics, according to the agenda item.
“In addition, the actions by Councilmember Pearce on June 3, 2017, in which she identified herself as a Councilmember, put the integrity of the Long Beach Police Department at risk, after several public allegations of preferential treatment were made,” the item stated.
Pearce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Public Integrity Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is still investigating allegations of inappropriate behavior and conflicts of interest.
An effort to recall Pearce, which has leaned heavily on these allegations, is currently underway, with the group making headway last week when it turned in over 9,400 signatures to the city clerk’s office in order to qualify for the November ballot that will call for a special election.