Attorney sends Cease and Desist letter to city of Coachella over potential Brown Act violations

An attorney issued a Cease and Desist letter against the city of Coachella over potential Brown Act violations related to the controversy with its city manager.

Attorney Megan Beaman Jacinto, a former councilmember, sent the letter to city officials on Wednesday.

"It has come to our attention that in the past 24 to 36 hours, if not for a longer period of time, Coachella officials including but not limited to Steven Hernandez and Stephanie Virgen have made numerous impermissible disclosures and statements in violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act," Beaman Jacinto writes.

The Ralph M. Brown Act prohibits all persons—including elected officials—from disclosing confidential information that has been acquired in a public entity closed session.

The issue stems from the debate on the future of City Manager Dr. Gabriel Martin. On Tuesday, the city council voted to place him on paid administrative leave after a 10-hour special meeting.

Mayor Steven Hernandez is accused of making statements the day before the vote to the Desert Sun and "one or more local radio stations," giving information that would not be allowed under the Brown Act.

Councilmember Stephanie Virgen is accused of posting the content of the council’s previous closed session discussions on social media to drum up support of Martin and City Attorney Carlos Campos.

You can read the full letter below:

Beaman-Jacinto also issued the city notice to preserve evidence relevant to the claims in the Cease and Desist letter.

"Each of you and all staff of the City of Coachella have a duty to preserve evidence relevant to claims referenced in the attached letter (Exhibit A), even in the absence of a court order," reads the notice. "This includes all documents, tangible things, and electronically stored information."

You can read the full notice below: