The Facts
The Record, The Investigation, The Truth
The investigations cleared Director April Chan of racism, violence and misconduct (violating any policies). They also found that she was the one who received a threat of violence. Here are the facts, with sources.
01 The record
April’s Record Speaks for Itself
Since January 2023, April Chan has been doing the job Ward 7 elected her to do:
- Stopped a soil-dumping project that would have sent 100 trucks a day along Lake Chabot Road.
- Helped expose $279 million in out-of-view budget transfers and pushed through financial reforms.
- Voted to cap rate increases at 6.5% to keep water affordable.
- Protected EBMUD reservoirs from invasive species threats.
- Showed up for constituents — from preventing a funeral-day water shutoff to getting a persistent leak repaired.
02 The context
Why April Was Targeted
When you ask hard questions about how $279 million is being managed, not everyone is happy about it. When you stand with 1,500 of your neighbors to shut down a dumping project that the institution wanted to move forward, some people push back.
April knew that challenging the status quo would make her unpopular with some insiders. She did it anyway — because that’s what the voters of Ward 7 elected her to do.
03 The investigation
What the Investigation Actually Found
In 2025, an independent investigation was conducted into an incident that occurred at EBMUD offices (as reported by The Mercury News, June 2025). Here are the facts:
Cleared of racial bias
The investigation found no evidence that April’s conduct was racially motivated. The central allegation against her was not sustained.
Cleared of violence
EBMUD’s own security investigation found that April did not act violently or make threats.
Cleared of misconduct
The investigation did not sustain charges of misconduct as defined by EBMUD policy.
Found to be the one threatened
The investigation determined that April was the individual who received a threat of violence — not the other way around.
In November 2025, the board voted to censure April over her interactions with a member of the public and District employees, and directed her to complete professional development courses. April asked that the resolution note the investigations did not find racially motivated conduct on her part. She accepted the board’s directives and has continued to serve her constituents without interruption.
04 The community
Others Spoke Up Too
April wasn’t the only one who saw this situation clearly. At the April 8, 2025 EBMUD board meeting, attorney Vernon Goins addressed the board directly:
Goins called on the board to provide April with due process before taking any action: “A temporary removal is a removal, and Miss Chan deserves due process.”
Community member Evette Rivera also addressed the board independently, calling it “completely disgusting” that Board President Marguerite Young invoked the name of George Floyd “over a matter that involves a parking space.”
At the May 13, 2025 board meeting, community advocate Tuan Ngo spoke in support of Director Chan, challenging the board’s treatment of its only Asian American female director and calling for fairness in the process.
The independent investigation that followed confirmed what these speakers recognized from the start: there was no evidence of racial bias.
Read the full accounts: Community members challenge racial profiling allegations (April 8, 2025) · Community advocates speak in support of Director Chan (May 13, 2025)
05 Her response
In Her Own Words
At the February 10, 2026 EBMUD Board meeting, April read a statement responding to an apology letter from Director Marguerite Young and spoke about the history of Asian American exclusion. She asked the district to make the EBMUD internal security report available online and searchable through search engines, calling it a matter of digital civil rights.
06 The work
She Kept Working
On the same day the board took its action, April voted with a unanimous board to approve Motion No. 226-25 — the Recreational Boating Reopening Plan to mitigate the invasive golden mussel. She didn’t stop serving Ward 7 for a single day.
April believes the voters of Ward 7 elected her to fight for clean, affordable water — and that’s exactly what she’s going to keep doing.