Councilwoman Censured for Alleged Public Rudeness

Five months after leading an effort to censure a colleague, a city councilwoman has herself been censured by a council majority for allegedly being disruptive and rude during a public meeting.

The Huntington Park City Council voted 3 to 2 this month to censure Councilwoman Rosario Marin, charging that she was abusive and offensive to Mayor Jessica Maes and rude to members of the public during a May 15 council meeting.

Marin, however, rejected the allegations, saying her critics on the council adopted the motion in retaliation for previous feuds she has had with them.

“It’s just politics,” she said. “It’s nonsense.”

Marin was instrumental in getting a council majority to censure Councilwoman Linda Luz Guevara in March for critical statements she made against the city’s police department. Guevara charged that police supervisors have ignored evidence of racism within the department.

Marin also harshly criticized Councilman Tom Jackson in May for anti-immigration comments that Marin and others felt were racially biased against Mexican immigrants.

Maes, Guevara and Jackson all voted for the censure motion against Marin. Councilman Ric Loya and Marin voted against the measure.

Marin denies that she was rude to Maes or to members of the public. She said she is meeting with an attorney to consider challenging the legality of the motion.