Anaheim Mayor Accused of Racist Slur, Inappropriate Comments at Disneyland

Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken is accused of making a racist remark and inappropriate comments about her chief of staff’s sexuality during a lunch at Disneyland, according to a leaked letter.

Berenice Ballinas, Aitken’s chief of staff, detailed the allegations in a Sept. 11 note sent to the city attorney, which was reviewed by TimesOC. Her lawyer stated that Aitken, who is running for her second term, referred to Ballinas as a “dirty Mexican” while Ballinas was driving her home.

"On various occasions when Ms. Ballinas was forced to drive Mayor Aitkin home, Mayor Aitkin [sic] exclaimed that she did ‘not want her car driven by a dirty Mexican,’" employment attorney Lawrence Lennemann wrote in his mediation request to Anaheim City Attorney Robert Fabela.

The letter also describes incidents that occurred in June at Disneyland’s exclusive Club 33 and the 1901 Lounge, which are accessible only to Club 33 members.

During these gatherings, Aitken allegedly questioned Ballinas’ sexuality in front of others and gossiped about a Disney employee’s sexual orientation and ethnicity. The letter claims that Aitken’s conduct prompted complaints from Disney employees, leading to the suspension of a third party's Club 33 membership.

Ballinas also accused former Anaheim city manager James Vanderpool of making unwelcome comments about her perceived sexuality. These alleged comments, which began in or around 2023 and continued through at least June 2026, included insinuations that she was a lesbian and questioning her romantic relationships.

The letter further alleges that Aitken pressed Ballinas, who is of Mexican American heritage, to admit fault for a missing Christmas tree from another city department in 2024. Ballinas' attorney asserts that her client endured a "sustained pattern of harassment, discriminatory treatment and, most recently, retaliation," which led to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder by city medical personnel. Ballinas is currently on medical leave recovering from surgery for a brain aneurysm.

Lennemann also stated that evidence suggests city officials retaliated against Ballinas by withholding an approved raise, removing her from the city website, and implying to outside parties that she was no longer employed by the city.

Aitken, who is running for reelection, responded to the allegations in a statement to the Voice of OC, saying, "I am limited in how I may respond, but I can ask that you look to my record, my words, my initiatives and my values to inform your opinion of my character."

Dr. Imran Sharief, who is challenging Aitken for mayor, told the Voice of OC that transparency is crucial. "Anaheim is one of the most diverse cities in America, and our leaders have a responsibility to treat every resident and employee with dignity and respect. The people of Anaheim deserve to know the truth about what happened."

Mayor Aitken was elected as Anaheim’s first female mayor in 2022. She previously ran for the position in 2018.

The California Post has reached out to Ballinas, Aitken, and Vanderpool for comment.