"You don't have to like me": Kevin de León returns to L.A. City Council chambers
On Friday, Kevin de León returned to City Council chambers for the first time since a recording of a racist conversation among L.A. City Councilmembers was released to the public.
At about 11 a.m. de León walked in and took his seat at the horseshoe table, nearly two months after his last appearance in City Hall. It took people in the room a few minutes to notice, which provoked several city council members to exit the chambers and protestors to create a loud interruption.
City Council President Paul Krekorian then called for a 10-minute recess, that ended up lasting 45 minutes.
Immediately after calling the recess, Krekorian walked over to de León to talk to him. After about 10 minutes, the embattled councilman got up and left the room. He said he did not speak to the other council members when he walked into the chambers.
"I can't give the full details to respect the process with regards to the conversation Mr. Krekorian and I had," said de León. "It was a question of how the disruptors could somehow settle down and comport themselves in a dignified manner."
Protesters calling for de León's resignation and the council member's supporters had loud reactions to his presence.
"The road to redemption begins with resignation and that will end the protests," said Councilman Mike Bonin.
De León was part of a racist conversation among two other council members and a labor leader that was recorded last year and anonymously leaked to the public in October this year. Council President Nury Martinez resigned as a result of the public fallout. Ron Herrera resigned from his position as president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor. Councilman Gil Cedillo has not resigned but his term ends next week.
In contrast, de León has vehemently refused to resign, claiming that his constituents need, and deserve, representation. In the wake of the controversy, de León asked to be excused from meetings, but that request has not been granted.
Following that denial and his long absence, opponents have criticized the councilman for drawing a paycheck while not appearing for city council meetings.
"For council members, 90-95% of the actual work is done in the districts with constituents and with general managers," de León said.
During his absence from the council chambers, de León said he has broken ground on a new tiny home village for Boyle Heights, created a shelter for families within his district and has met with the African American community outside of his district.
"There have been some painful conversations but they've been productive and they are constructive with folks in the various communities," the councilman said. "It's given me a glimmer of hope and light so we can move together. That's what I've been doing."
Additionally, he has sponsored monthly events that included lunches for senior citizens in Highland Park.
"He's been good for the community," said resident Natalie Contreras.
"He's a wonderful man and don't believe anything that's been said," resident Esther Gonzales added.
De León also provided food to neighborhoods like Boyle Heights, however, this gesture did not change the views of some residents like Ronnie Duran.
"He should resign like the other people did," said Duran. "Because he hurt a lot of people."
The turmoil following the scandal has frustrated his opponents who decided to start a recall effort that kicked off this week.
Friday is the last meeting of the current council before new members are sworn in. De León plans to attend next week's meeting and hopes any disruption will be dealt with in a dignified way.
"Let me say this, every day there are Angelenos who go to work, and work with folks that, perhaps, they don't like," the councilman said. "But they wake up every day and they go to work. They don't stop going to work because there's an individual that they don't like ... That's not how the world works. That's why we have to come together and move forward together. You don't have to like me."
