Reso 2026-021 Discipline - Councilmember Aguilar

Home

19 Gonzalez, Ballew and Azevedo recalled that Aguilar told each of them that Bowen was really drunk that night, implying that her drunkenness might have caused a scene, warranting her immediate removal. Azevedo was not socializing with the rest of the group that evening, so he did not witness the interaction or see how distraught Bowen was after the incident. Two days later, on November 15, 2024, while still at the conference, Bowen confronted Parra and asked him, “Do you remember what you did the other night?” Parra allegedly responded, “I don’t remember.” Bowen then reminded him, “You kissed me and violated me and I’m not okay with it.” Parra allegedly deflected and said that everyone was drinking that night, a line that is consistent with Aguilar’s narrative of Bowen’s alleged intoxication that night, which she and others deny. When Bowen later confronted Aguilar, she asked him if he saw what happened that night, Aguilar claimed that he did not witness Parra kiss her but he claimed he saw her dancing near the bar.13 According to Aguilar, Bowen was given a drink and appeared to be happy and excitedly ecstatic “out of the norm.” Aguilar states that he observed that she took a sip from her drink and attempted to get Parra to dance with her and that Parra waved his hands in the air as if to signal his rejection of her request. Aguilar claims that Parra sat down, but Bowen gave Parra a hug and took a sip from her drink, and that Bowen was persistently asking Parra to dance with her so Parra finally relented. Aguilar claims that he was uncomfortable watching Bowen forcing Parra to dance with her and walked over to speak with Ballew and Gonzalez and told them that he was concerned about Bowen’s behavior and that she had asked Parra to dance. However, Aguilar’s account is refuted by Gonzalez, who said that Aguilar merely said that Bowen was drunk and that Gonzalez needed to get her out of there. Gonzalez stated that Aguilar did not mention Bowen trying to compel Parra to dance with her. Aguilar denies that he told anyone that Bowen was really drunk that night and that he told Gonzalez that he needed to get her out of there, which contradicts what Azevedo recalls Aguilar telling him that Bowen was really drunk that night. Boldt was also told that Aguilar told Gonzalez that Bowen had been drinking too much and he had to get her out of there. Former City Council Member Reynes recalls that Aguilar once told her that Bowen was really drunk at a conference which she believes was an effort to besmirch Bowen’s reputation. Aguilar claims he did not see Parra kiss Bowen, but he spoke with Parra the following day and told him that Bowen was alleging that he kissed her. Aguilar explained that if Parra did kiss Bowen, then “it goes both ways,” since Bowen was forcing Parra to dance with her that night, implying that Bowen invited the unwelcome kiss by Parra by her own behavior. However, Aguilar told others that Bowen was really drunk that night, he asked Gonzalez to remove her from the premises, and the very next day, he advised Parra that Bowen was alleging he had kissed her, instead of showing support for his colleague who had just been physically violated by Parra. This speaks volumes about his lack of sensitivity to Bowen’s plight and his attempts to discredit Bowen’s account and reputation. Bowen subsequently filed a criminal complaint against Parra, and he has since been charged with misdemeanor battery. Insofar as Bowen is aware, the investigation is still ongoing and there has not been a final disposition on this charge against Parra. At the end of the March 17, 2025, City Council Meeting, Bowen disclosed that she had been physically violated by Parra and that he had been charged. As soon as she concluded her remarks, Aguilar, immediately, 13 On November 18, 2025 during a break in the City Council Meeting to censure Aguilar and Simon, a resident of the City of San Leandro showed her an email sent to him from an unknown person who suggested that she was having an affair with Mayor Gonzalez, both of whom are married to other people and both deny that there is any truth to this. Although Bowen has no direct proof that Aguilar is the person behind these emails, she believes that Aguilar’s behavior that night suggest that he had “set her up” to be kissed by Parra with whom he is friends. He then asked Gonzalez to escort her out of the premises and told others that she was really drunk that night in an attempt to destroy her reputation. Exhibit A Resolution No. 2026-021 Page 19