Standing With the People Who Do the Work

When two former EBMUD employees took the District to federal court over claims of discrimination and retaliation, I attended parts of the trial myself. I wanted to hear their story firsthand, because the people who work for this District matter to me.

A jury heard the evidence and found that the District had retaliated against them. When the Board then voted on whether to appeal, I was one of only two directors out of seven who voted no. I believed the right thing to do was to accept that verdict and allow those two women to move forward with their lives. Continuing to pursue them through years of additional litigation wasn’t fair to them. It also wasn’t a wise use of ratepayer dollars.

The Board majority chose to appeal anyway. Years later, EBMUD lost again, unanimously, on appeal, and the judgment grew to about $9.4 million with interest and punitive damages.

That vote wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t popular on the Board. I cast it because I believe a public agency must treat its people with fairness and basic decency, especially when it has been found to have fallen short.

Respecting staff doesn’t mean never asking hard questions. My job is to hold the District accountable to the people of Ward 7. Sometimes that means pushing management on performance and standards. But accountability and respect for employees go hand in hand, and my record shows both.

I’m proud of that vote. I would cast it again.

— April Chan, EBMUD Ward 7 Director