The Brief

Leaders of the two largest L.A. County employee unions say many of their members have been shocked and outraged to learn county CEO Fesia Davenport negotiated a $2 million payout to herself, after they say she told workers there was no money to give them raises.

It comes as the CEO remains on a months-long leave, and an attorney challenges the legality of the payout — alleging it violates the state Constitution’s ban on gifts of public funds.

“Our members are really furious about it,” said David Green, a county social worker and president of SEIU 721, which represents over half of the more than 100,000 people who work for the county government. The union represents emergency room nurses and social workers, among many others.

Green and other county workers said they learned about the payout when LAist broke the news of it in October.

During their latest union contract negotiations, according to Green, Davenport and her representatives frequently said there was no money for worker raises while she was “secretly negotiating a deal that put her own needs first.”

She “felt the need to line her own pockets,” Green added.

“I  was disappointed and disgusted.”

The contract negotiations lasted for two years and concluded last summer.

Davenport has not responded to requests for comment on the employees’ concerns.

Anthony Meraz is a deputy sheriff and vice president of the sheriff’s deputies’ union, which represents the second-largest number of county staff. Meraz said he and his colleagues were concerned by the $2 million payment, along with the secrecy around it and Davenport’s sudden leave of absence.

“That’s substantial money at a time where the county is claiming economic and financial distress,” Meraz said.

“ Leaders eat last,” he added, quoting a concept from military traditions. “The idea behind being in charge is that you are supposed to be taking care of people that are in your charge.”

The backstory

The county and SEIU ultimately reached a deal last summer where each employee gets a one-time $5,000 bonus in the first year, then a 2% cost of living raise and $2,000 bonus in the second year. Under the contract, employees get a 5% cost of living raise in the third year. Union officials called it a “strong” deal at the time, before the CEO payout was known.

If the $5,000 bonus ends up applying to all county staff when their negotiations conclude, it would amount to $440 million, according to the CEO’s office.

Negotiations with the sheriff deputies’ union remain ongoing, more than a year after they began. The deputies’ contract expired almost a year ago.

Together, the two unions represent about 63% of the county government’s workers. L.A. County is the largest employer in Southern California, according to its HR website.

The CEO’s office says departments had to make sacrifices to pay for the raises approved in the SEIU contract.

“In order to partially fund the cost of living increases, County departments had to make 5.5% cuts to their budgets, resulting in park closures, cuts to youth jobs programs and grants to arts organizations, and other reductions in service,” the office wrote.

“The County continues to seek new ways to maintain essential safety net services in the face of massive costs.”

The CEO office cited billions of dollars in expected costs to settle claims brought under a sexual assault survivor law, January 2025 wildfire expenses and a volatile federal funding landscape as threats to county funding.

Records show the CEO payout was in response to claims by Davenport that she was harmed by a voter-approved ballot measure that will create an elected county chief executive job at the county — which takes effect after her employment contract expires. Voters approved Measure G in 2024. Her payment demands said she suffered “reputational harm, embarrassment and physical, emotional and mental distress” caused by the ballot measure.

The $2 million payout deal was marked “confidential,” even though it’s required to be disclosed to the public upon request, under state law.

The deal was approved behind closed doors by the Board of Supervisors, with no report-out to the public of its existence. The approval did not follow the county’s usual transparency practice of publicly reporting out large settlements.

A public records expert and attorney, David Loy, told LAist the closed-door approval of the settlement, with no public announcement, did not appear to violate transparency laws. He said the county still should have informed the public.

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath told LAist that she shares the workers’ frustrations.

“I hear the upset of members of our County workforce, and I share their frustration with a bureaucracy that too often lacks transparency and keeps important information from public view,” she said in a statement.

“That is why I put forward the motion to establish a clear, transparent process for executive settlements, and championed increased accountability on how our public dollars are spent through the budget process established by Measure G.”

In response to the backlash over the payment, last month county supervisors approved a proposal by Horvath to require that the county proactively tell the public about settlements with county executives and to look into creating a public website to describe the payouts.

Legality of payout is challenged

County workers are not the only ones pushing back on the payout.

An attorney has written letters to the county alleging the the CEO payout was illegal, both under state transparency laws and the state constitution’s ban on illegal gifts of public funds.

“The settlement constitutes a gratuitous payment for private benefit, prohibited by Article XVI, Section 6 of the California Constitution,” wrote the attorney, Alexander K. Robinson, representing county resident and taxpayer Ana Cristina Lee Escudero.

Under that constitutional provision, local government settlement payouts are illegal if they’re in response to allegations that completely lack legal merit, according to a court ruling describing how such cases have been decided.

The county spent $2 million “to extinguish a non-existent risk,” Robinson wrote.

An attorney contracted to represent the county, Mira Hashmall, disputed Robinson’s claims in letters replying to him.

“The constitutional prohibition on gifts of public funds bars only gratuitous expenditures for purely private purposes; it does not prohibit payments made to advance a legitimate public purpose or for adequate consideration,” Hashmall wrote.

Robinson told LAist this week that he plans to sue the county. He has not yet filed with the court.

CEO remains on months-long leave

Davenport suddenly went on medical leave three months ago, saying she planned to return as CEO in early 2026.

It’s unclear where those plans currently stand. She did not respond to calls and text messages. A spokesperson for the CEO’s office said no update was available, and that Davenport is expected to return “in 2026.”

In her absence, her second-in-command Joe Nicchitta — the county’s chief deputy CEO and chief operating officer — is serving as acting CEO while Davenport is out.

And the CEO’s manager of strategic initiatives, Jeramy Gray, has temporarily stepped into Nicchita’s job as the No. 2.

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.

But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.

“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.

The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.

The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.

The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.

Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.

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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist

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“Over the  next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino,  president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.

Getting venues ready will be expensive

The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.

The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.

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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist

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A $360 million proposal to spruce up asphalt in parking lots around Exposition Park won’t be done in time for the Olympics, as originally planned. Meanwhile, just up the street, there’s concern that a $2.6 billion expansion of the L.A. Convention Center, which is hosting Olympic wrestling, fencing and judo in 2028 won’t be ready for the Olympics.

Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.

Topline:

About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.

About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa and nearby countries. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.

How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.

Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.

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Courtesy Jamie Pham/L.A. Zoo

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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”

About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the zoo's California condors that hatched last year.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. 

Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling. 

According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said. 

The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.

The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members. 

Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred. 

According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained. 

Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs. 

Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.  

“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.

Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.  

“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”

Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students. 

“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.

Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation. 

Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated. 

Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students. 

“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?” 

In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction. 

The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April. 

“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”

Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said. 

“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said. 

Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.

“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.