I am seeking the above remedies because our HCNC committee meetings should be held in accordance with the DONE code of conduct, HCNC bylaws and Robert's Rules of Order. I am also seeking these remedies because I was verbally assaulted by Deseray Sarcona as she chaired the Outreach Committee of 11-03-2018. She was unable to maintain order in the meeting, and after other Committee members berated me for my planned "No" vote on an agenda item, she then escalated the matter by cursing at me and standing above me and berated me as well. While I believe some people are able to redeem themselves through training, and I am seeking that she be required to go through the remedies I am seeking, I am doubtful that these will be sufficient to change her behavior and believe she will ultimately need to be removed from the HCNC Board. Below is a copy of the email I submitted that further describes the details of events that occured during the Outreach meeting:
Lori Arnold <
loriarnoldhcnc@gmail.com>
Nov 5, 2018, 3:20 PM
to octaviano.rios, carmen.hawkins
Octaviano, Carmen,
I hereby submit my grievance against fellow Harbor City Neighborhood Council (HCNC) Boardmember and HCNC Outreach Committee Chair Deseray Sarcona.
I serve as a Committee Member on the Outreach Committee, and I was bullied and harassed by Deseray Sarcona at the most recent committee meeting on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018. To address each of the elements of bullying as defined in the Code of Conduct Policy.
- As Chair of the Outreach Committee Meeting Deseray never had any control of this meeting and treated many members of the committee as well as stakeholders in a dehumanizing, intimidating, hostile way including treating me that way. Many times I and others had to encourage her to get control of her meeting. Because she was so confused and did not know what to do I had to reign in her own meeting even to the point of using my fist as a gavel in order to get everyone’s attention. At one point in the meeting I said that I was going to vote No on an agenda item. Due to the hostility and chaotic way this meeting was held, immediately other committee members were harassing me why I wanted to vote No on this item. After I told them why I chose to vote no, they kept harassing me. I continually said, “I’m only 1 vote. It’s going to pass anyway, let’s just vote.” Because of these committee members continually berating me to change my vote it finally got the attention of Deseray, who sat directly next to me to my left. She then turned to me and yelled in my face, “You’re going to vote No?!!!” My response was the same as I expressed to the other committee members. Her next response to me was, “I don’t know what the HELL you want from me?!!!” I sat dumbfounded because I had no idea what she was talking about or where this escalated type of hostility was coming from towards me. I have done everything to support and help Deseray before and after she became Outreach Chair. She then tried to take back her “HELL” comment, but with no apology. She was so angered and frustrated that her next action was by standing up, hovering over me in a threatening manner and began her rant which included other expletives towards me. This is not the first time she has expressed her frustration towards a board member in this type of manner. This caused me significant emotional distress and some concern whether or not she was going to physically touch, push or otherwise physically harm me. I could tell it was heading into some personal matter which was bothering her, so I stood up and tried to end it because this meeting was not the place to air grievances as such. At that point it got so out of control which caused both of us yelling at each other and that’s when I decided to leave because I could see no other end to her behavior.
- As mentioned above, I was the only Board Member who she acted toward in a threatening manner. However, the entire meeting was run in such an emotionally escalated, hostile and chaotic environment with Deseray consistently being verbally abusive in both words and body language.
- Deseray’s bullying was both physical and verbal.
- Deseray’s lack of abilities of knowing how to run and control any meeting especially this one, along with her bullying substantially interfered with the ability of committee members and stakeholders to participate in the meeting. The co-chair, Mary Ann Hopkins was so distressed, because they do not know the proper procedures on how to go forward on agenda items that she left the meeting and came back in at least on one occasion. After being physically and verbally threatened by Deseray I left the meeting which was only half way through, and my husband also left soon thereafter. Therefore we were unable to participate in the rest of the meeting which had already gone on for 2 hours and 30 minutes. My feeling is she is trying to push me out of the Outreach Committee. I can provide text correspondence showing at one point her wanting to replace me with another board member in a harassing manner. I also have a text with clarification that at that point we were only a committee of 4 members and 3 were board members so our text communication is a violation outside of publicly posted meeting. The last is a text message between the co-chair Mary Ann Hopkins and I clarifying the change in time and place from which our meeting are usually held. I was not included in the original communication regarding a time change, which is consistent with my feelings of Deseray trying to push me out of this committee. As my husband left the meeting Deseray expressed her sarcasm to him to deliver a message to me to “Stop playing phone tag” referring to my text message to her co-chair Mary Ann Hoppkins. It’s my understanding that a co-chair should have this information thus the reason why I asked. I also reached out to her because I felt more comfortable talking with Mary Ann since I had a feeling Deseray is trying to push me out of the Outreach committee because of her non-communications with me concerning committee meeting and events, and I wanted to see if things can be resolved for whatever reason she is doing this. What disturbs me is that it is well known that Deseray has contacted almost every board member and others including Monika Petroczy, who is our utility box painter, to complain and gossip about her grievances and spread lies about particular board members including myself in order to manipulate board and committee members to conform to her, and to alienate anyone who doesn’t comply. Yet she had a problem with me contacting her co-chair Mary Ann in my attempt to talk with her to understand if there were issues that I wasn’t aware of that were causing their frustration. I’ve tried all along to help work through issues, but Deseray is continuing to be hostile.
- This grievance is based on my protected characteristic as shown in Attachment A, paragraph 2 of the Code of Conduct Policy, specifically to be allowed to express my opinion, and Deseray’s failure to treat me and other members of the public to allow us to express our opinions without fear of being bullied or harassed.
My intent is to continue in my positions with HCNC, but because of the way she has threatened other board members and I. I find Deseray to be an emotional basket case that brings all of her personal feeling into play at authorized HCNC board and committee meetings. At this point I feel violated and fear for my person and believe that Deseray is not fit to be chair of any committee. My fear is that she will escalate to a point where she will become physical with other board members including myself. She is the hostile instigator of everything she complains about. My recommendation is that the Department first send a Warning letter to Deseray, and forward this grievance and a copy of the letter to the City Attorney for Alternate Dispute Resolution. I also recommend the Department direct Deseray to attend mandatory Executive Training and behavior training. If that does not resolve her hostile and aggressive behavior then I recommend her removal from the board.
If you need additional information or would like to discuss the matter in more detail please feel free to contact me by email or cell phone text or call.
Lori Bordenave-Arnold
310-951-1784 cell
310-539-7812 home