A 26-page workplace investigation report against two San Leandro City Council members, involving a human resources department complaint, was released to the public last week. San Leandro City Council voted on Jan. 5 to waive attorney-client privilege on the report.
The complaint was made by Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen, who filed a gender bias, bullying and retaliation complaint against Councilmembers Fred Simon and Victor Aguilar. City attorney Richard Roda said Bowen filed the HR complaint in February 2024.
Bowen’s complaints include not receiving support from Simon and Aguilar on a vote for vice-mayor out of retaliation, Aguilar allegedly attempting to change the story after Bowen
experienced an alleged physical violation at an out-of-state conference, and being bullied for having too many priorities during the council’s annual planning meeting.
Bowen also claimed that Simon and Aguilar mistreated female city employees, especially women in power. The accusation was backed up by interviews from current and former city council members and city managers, who were mostly women.
San Leandro HR director Emily Hung initiated an investigation involving the complaint. Jane Kow from HR Law Consultants was hired by the city to investigate and put together an unbiased report about the allegations. The investigation ended on Oct. 25, 2025. The report can be found on the city clerk section of the San Leandro city website under “Public Records.”
The HR department also released a document with the costs of past HR investigations since 2019. Kow’s investigation cost the city nearly $135,000.
Materials used in the investigation were also released, including emails, a description of the city charter, the councilmember handbook and a four-hour interview between Simon and Kow. Simon requested that his interview with the investigator be recorded.
Simon supported publicly releasing the HR investigation. “In this circumstance, I support releasing the whole report, including exhibits, without redactions, so the public could read every word, and make their own opinion on the situation,” he said. “And not just rely on a summary or unfounded findings by the investigator.”
Simon suggested adding a discussion on the agenda about restorative justice as a way to mediate councilmember conflicts in the future. That topic will be discussed at a future city council meeting.
