City of Lynwood Statement Re: Councilmember Edwin Hernandez.
The City has received notice that litigation will be filed regarding sexual harassment charges of a city employee versus Councilmember Edwin Hernandez. This is a serious issue that we’ve been working on the past several months with attorneys for Ms. Ochoa, but as of this moment no settlement has occurred.
The City Council has taken no action regarding Councilmember Hernandez’ status on the Council because since the complaint was filed there had not been an agreed-to settlement on the matter, and his status was part of the negotiations.
Ms. Ochoa agreed to be put on paid administrative leave. The city believed that with all the publicity on this case, it would have made the work environment difficult for both her and her co-workers.
This case has generated media interest. All the publicity obscures many of the good things happening in Lynwood—streets are being fixed, public safety is improving, affordable housing is being developed, the City’s first mixed use project was just entitled and parks are being recommended for global awards — the city is functioning at a level of quality unseen in recent years. Of course, that goes against the narrative that many in the media have about the communities in our region. That’s something the news cameras seldom come down to see.