One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Teacher Files Assault Complaint Over 'Chest Bump' With Councilman
example of proper chest bump (photo by thaths via flickr)
Estancia High School English teacher Joel Ruben Flores filed a police report last weekend claiming he was assaulted by Costa Mesa Councilman Steve Mensinger after a confrontation following a community fun run. Mensinger countered on Monday by filing a complaint against Flores with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District over an altercation described by Flores to police as a "chest-bumping."Flores apparently aggravated Mensinger with a series of politically-charge remarks. "Nothing good can come of what you've done," Flores said, according to the police report. "Shame on you for what you've done!"
Flores claimed that Mensinger then "got in my face."
While Flores claimed to have calmly stated the above, Mensinger complained that he was verbally threatened, claiming Flores told him "You are the enemy of the worker and you're an embarrassment.... Enemies of the people will be destroyed."
Fun run, anyone?
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
