Brief

The City Attorney has submitted a report regarding Michael Bates v. City of Los Angeles (Superior Court Case 23STCV07054) to the Budget and Finance Committee. The file references a claim (C23-02969) and appears to involve potential settlement, judgment, or allocation of funds related to the lawsuit. The matter was referred to committee on June 22, 2026, and remains pending.

Full summary

This litigation file, initiated by City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, concerns adverse employment claims brought by Michael Bates, a Bureau of Sanitation employee, against the City of Los Angeles. The case is pending in Los Angeles Superior Court and has an associated claim on file with the City's risk management system. The City Attorney's report, signed by Kathleen Kenealy, Chief of the Civil Litigation Branch, requests that the Council schedule a closed session under California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1) to receive legal advice and consider Claims Board action related to potential settlement of the lawsuit. That provision of state law allows public agencies to meet privately with legal counsel to discuss pending litigation, and requires only that the Council publicly announce the legal basis for the closed session before entering it. The report was submitted on June 4, 2026, received by the Council on June 18, 2026, and referred to the Budget and Finance Committee on June 22, 2026, where it currently sits pending a hearing. The routing to that committee signals that any resolution — whether a settlement payment or other financial commitment — will require Council authorization and budgetary action. The file remains open and expires on June 18, 2028. Deputy City Attorney Brian Levine is the point of contact for the matter.

Activity (2)

• 2026-06-22 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2026-06-18 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated June 4, 2026.

Documents (1)

• 2026-06-04 Report from City Attorney · report