February 15, 2023
Fellow board members, committee members, and stakeholders,
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the board of the Hollywood Studio District Council (HSDNC) and represent our community in local government. However, due to the actions of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE), we are no longer able to both continue that service
and follow our conscience.
On February 8, 2023, at a special meeting of the HSDNC board, Mario Hernandez of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment informed the board that:
a) The HSDNC would be sponsoring an event held by the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation;
b) The sponsorship would include $4,000 in funding, more than 10% of the HSDNC annual budget; and
c) Any HSDNC board members who did not attend would be removed from the board.
The board members and stakeholders present vehemently objected to sponsoring or participating in this event because of the violent, white-supremacist, criminal gang activity historically and currently perpetrated by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
Despite the fact that no HSDNC board members or stakeholders had been
involved in this decision, Mr. Hernandez informed meeting participants that it
was “not open for negotiation.”
Given the choice of betraying our values or ending our service to the HSDNC,
the decision is clear. We, the undersigned, do hereby resign from the board of
the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council, effective immediately.
Black Lives Matter.
In Solidarity,
Michael Tessler, HSDNC Board Chair
Laura Graves, HSDNC Board Vice Chair
Damien Burke, HSDNC Board Secretary
Kali Mutty, HSDNC Board Member
Hayden Bernard, HSDNC Board Member
Frankie Holt, HSDNC Board Member
Cathy Hood, HSDNC Board Member
Nitzan Levinson, HSDNC Board Member
Note: HSDNC Treasurer Anthony Conley has also resigned in solidarity but has not had the opportunity to review this letter in its current form. Mrs. Alison Brotherton declined to sign the letter. We have not heard from Mr. Doug Haines yet whether or not he’ll sign the letter. A signed copy of this letter was submitted to city officials.