Morning Report: PD Chief’s Feud With Chula Vista Gets Uglier
EM - News Moderator 
Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy on Tuesday filed multiple legal claims against the city, alleging city leaders conspired to oust her from her job, defamed her and discriminated against her because of her age and ethnicity.
Kennedy accused Chula Vista’s city manager of disparaging her in a private conversation with a former city official and trying to get rid of her by “making her job so unpleasant that she would resign under pressure.”
In a separate complaint filed with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Kennedy requested an investigation into whether Chula Vista officials discriminated against her because she is 65 years old and White.
Kennedy’s lawyer, Cory Briggs, said city officials have been trying for months “to get rid of [Kennedy] and sweep it all under the rug.”
In a statement, Chula Vista spokesperson John Cihomsky said, “The city denies the allegations and will address the complaints in the appropriate venue.”
Kids Are the Real Victims of Petco Scam
One group has gone conspicuously unmentioned in all the publicity surrounding the Petco Park charity scam, writes our Scott Lewis. That’s the kids who play youth sports who missed out on millions of dollars.
The scam involved using a fake youth softball league as a cover to rake in millions in concessions earnings at Petco and Snapdragon Stadium, as we first revealed in 2023. Technically, that money came out of the pockets of teams and corporate concession management companies.
But the real victims, Lewis writes, were all the youth softball players whose volunteer-led teams never saw a dime of the money supposedly raised in their name.
Lewis helps run a youth softball league. Had the $3.75 million raised by the scammers Martin Rebollo and Noly Ilarde actually gone to a Chula Vista softball league, the effect would have been transformative, he writes.
“Those of us trying to keep communities together – to ensure everyone gets a chance to play and to ward off the sharks of profit as long as possible — are swimming against the tide.”
The Race to Erase César Chávez
The New York Times on Wednesday dropped a bombshell, five-year investigation into sexual abuse allegations against civil rights icon, César Chávez.
Labor icon Dolores Huerta told the NYT that Chávez raped her in 1966. Huerta helped Chávez run the farmworkers union. She didn’t report it at the time, she said, because she didn’t want to hurt the movement. Two women claimed he sexually assaulted them as minors and The New York Times corroborated much of their accounts.
But what about all those streets, parks and buildings named after him?
Mayor Todd Gloria’s office is evaluating next steps on a potential renaming of Cesar Chavez Parkway in Barrio Logan. Cal State San Marcos covered a statue and signage on its campus.
San Diego Unified released a statement and plans to have conversations about a school named after Chávez. The Port of San Diego’s Cesar Chavez Park rename is TBD, a spokesperson told us. The San Diego College of Continuing Education is also reviewing the name of its Barrio Logan campus.
Moreno calls for immediate action: San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno wants to see renaming efforts begin. “Out of respect for the victims, and all victims of molestation, sexual abuse and rape, I respectfully request that all city property named after César Chávez be removed and changed immediately,” she wrote in a memo to Gloria.
Some Very Controversial — and Not so Controversial — Education Elections
It’s a great time to be running for re-election on the San Diego Unified school board — and a terrible time to be running for re-election to the leadership of the teachers union.
Two candidates running for school board, it turns out, will not have competitors on the November ballot.
Union elections, however, for the San Diego Educators Association are not so sleepy, reports our Jakob McWhinney in his Learning Curve.
A motivated contingent calling itself the Good Trouble caucus is running to throw out two-term president Kyle Weinberg and his slate of candidates. Two people in the Good Trouble caucus allege there have been irregularities with ballots that may illegitimize the voting, which is currently ongoing.
Read the full Learning Curve here.
One week away
Join us at Women Leading the Conversation on March 26 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. to hear from an inspiring panel of women who are Building the Finest City. Get your tickets today at vosd.org/wltc2026.
In Other News
- It’s hot! This week’s heatwave broke county records, with temperatures spiking to 97 degrees in El Cajon on Tuesday and almost that hot in other cities. The heat lasts until this weekend. (NBC San Diego)
- San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre told KPBS she opposes giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency officers access to a county law enforcement database. Aguirre last week called on county supervisors to ban ICE from accessing the database.
- In other supervisors news, Aguirre plans to host California gubernatorial candidate and former state Controller Betty Yee for a tour of the sewage-clogged Tijuana River on Friday. Previously, Aguirre led river tours for two other gubernatorial candidates.
- Officials from National City and the Port of San Diego plan to gather this morning to mark the completion of $8 million in improvements to Pepper Park, a 5.2-acre bayfront park that has long been a key source of waterfront recreation for city residents. The port-funded renovation includes a splash pad, a pirate-themed playground, picnic areas and improved lighting.
The Morning Report was written by Jim Hinch and Will Huntsberry. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.
The post Morning Report: PD Chief’s Feud With Chula Vista Gets Uglier appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
