Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson submitted his resignation to Mayor Barbara Lee on Sunday after texts were revealed showing comments he made about female subordinates, according to three people in City Hall.

Texts from 2024 show that in a conversation with former Director of Public Works Harold Duffey, Johnson referred to a subordinate as his “kryptonite,” saying  she had a “helluva walk.” Another time, he told Duffey that another female employee made him “a little giddy” and that he had to force himself to look only into her eyes.

In a statement, Lee called the communications “degrading and unprofessional.”

“Under my watch, I will not tolerate transgressions of this nature,” she said.

The exchanges were included in a file with thousands of Johnson’s text messages, which was released last week in response to a public records request that sought the same texts that were subpoenaed during the FBI’s corruption investigation into recalled Mayor Sheng Thao.

In the conversation with Duffey, Johnson floated the idea of promoting a female department head to an assistant city administrator role.

Duffey, who himself was then serving as an assistant city administrator at the time, texted back: “I would have to quit. I could not take it. I would go insane.”

“She is kryptonite – I get all weak,” Duffey continued, following up with: “She is such a nice person, happy and smart.”

Johnson responded, “My kryptonite is one of her deputies,” he texted back, naming the woman. “My goodness, she’s has a helluva walk,” he continued.

In another exchange, Duffey mentioned the female department head again, saying she was “tough.”

“Got the old player mesmerized,” Duffey texted Johnson.

“I’m telling you, you have to sit next to her. I have to force myself to only look in her eyes,” Johnson responded. “She had me a little giddy yesterday when we had to take pics.”  

Johnson and Duffey did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Johnson started as city administrator in June 2023, appointed by Thao. He has continued to serve under Mayor Barbara Lee, overseeing the city’s daily operations. Johnson’s contract – which guarantees him a salary of $340,000 a year plus a transportation allowance of $750 per month – was set to expire in January 2027.

Prior to joining Oakland, Johnson worked as IBM’s corporate social responsibility manager. Before that, he was Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer from 2019 to 2021, and assistant county manager of Athens-Clarke County in Georgia from 2016 to 2019.

Messages show that Duffey and Johnson had a personal relationship that extended beyond work. In texts, the two discussed grabbing dinner together at Scott’s Seafood and meeting for hikes at Reinhardt Regional Redwood Forest.

Duffey served as director of the public works department from July 2021 through May 2024, then as an assistant city administrator.  He left Oakland in September 2025 to take a job with the city of Brentwood in Contra Costa County.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Lake, who has served in the city administration for eight years, will serve as acting city administrator, the mayor said.

Council Member Ken Houston came to Johnson’s defense in an interview, saying that the city administrator’s comments to Duffey shouldn’t have pushed him to resign.

“Jestin Johnson was one of the best city administrators I’ve seen in decades,” said Houston told the Chronicle. “I’m truly devastated for this loss, and this has been taken way too far, just for people being human.”

“When a man goes too far, men will check each other … there is a point you don’t go past,” Houston added. “But there’s nothing wrong with men sharing their natural feelings with friends.”

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This article originally published at Oakland city administrator resigns after ‘degrading’ texts about female subordinates surface.