San Leandro City Manager Chris Zapata has been placed on paid administrative leave, as the city investigates allegations that he pressured the head of a nonprofit organization for sexual favors in exchange for city funds.
Zapata has flatly denied the allegations, even issuing a 23-page letter to the nonprofit’s board of directors that refutes the charges. An independent investigator will be looking into the matter, the city said.
Here are some of the allegations made by the accuser, Rose Padilla Johnson, CEO of the Davis Street Family Resource Center:
• Zapata made repeated romantic advances toward Johnson during her attempts to secure funding for her organization.
• Zapata brought her gifts during these meetings, including romantic mixtapes, and often made inappropriate sexual comments.
• Zapata insisted they meet in Johnson’s car outside of a Foster’s Freeze to discuss funding for her organization. During one of these meetings, Zapata propositioned her for sex in return for what her organization needed. "I got out of the car as fast as I could and flew here to my office, my sanctuary and fell apart,” according to Johnson.
• When Johnson refused the advances, Zapata began making defamatory statements about her.
"The City of San Leandro does not tolerate nor condone harassment of any type," Mayor Pauline Cutter said in a statement. But she qualified that "it also believes in due process," adding that Zapata would remain on leave until the City Council is able to review the findings of the independent investigation.
Read more about the allegations and the city's reaction here, here, and here.