Brentwood City Manager Harold Duffey faces uncertainty in his role following news that he has been implicated in a texting scandal during his time working in Oakland. According to Mayor Susannah Meyer, the city is “discussing options” of how to proceed.
“We are following protocols,” she said of the situation, but noted that the city has not reached a decision on next steps. As of press time, the City Attorney’s office had not replied to a request for comment detailing protocols.
The news follows the resignation of Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson on May 17. According to a statement by Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Johnson tendered his resignation in the wake of “certain degrading and unprofessional communications” involving Johnson that were brought to Lee’s attention on May 15. According to Oakland-based publication The Oaklandside, many of these texts were those exchanged between Johnson and Duffey.
“We promptly conducted our own investigation and verified these communications, which are wholly incompatible with the values of this administration and those of the people of Oakland,” Lee explained. “Under my watch, I will not tolerate transgressions of this nature.”
The text messages, which were made public on May 12 on Oakland’s public records portal, were part of a broader probe tied to a corruption investigation of recalled Mayor Sheng Thao. The Oaklandside noted in October, when Duffey departed the city for Brentwood, that Duffey had not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged by federal prosecutors in relation to the corruption investigation.
Among the thousands of messages released that include Johnson, there are messages that show comments between he and Duffey about various female city employees in ways that Lee characterized as degrading.
“Got the old player mesmerized,” a text from Duffey to Johnson reads in reference to an employee identified only as Holly in the exchange.
““I have to force myself to only look in her eyes. She had me a little giddy yesterday when we had to take pics,” Johnson replied.
Other messages between the pair described Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons – who was fired by Johnson last year according to The Oaklandside – as “emotional” while implying she curried favor with men through her femininity.
“You think a black man – I mean a black man, highly educated and very successful — would fall for LaTonda’s Game,” Duffey wrote in a text to Johnson in reference to an unnamed city official he characterized as someone he and Johnson felt would be an asset for themselves.
As of press time, Duffey had not replied to requests for comment.
During the May 18 State of the City address held at the Delta Theater, Brentwood residents had already begun to question Duffey’s continued presence as part of city staff.
“I’m shocked that the City Manager is in this theater today,” resident David Cruz said. “He has no business being here. It is very clear from the evidence that came out, that had the Oakland City Manager resign earlier this weekend, Mr. Duffey is in those text messages, and has no business being here after that conduct and his behavior toward women. [He] absolutely should not be part of our city, and he should not be in this room today.”