A fresh claim out of Anaheim has thrown city hall into a mess, with Mayor Ashleigh Aitken facing accusations that range from drunken public behavior to racial slurs, harassment, and retaliation. The filing comes from her chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, who says she was targeted because of her Mexican heritage, sexuality, and Catholic faith, while the city says the allegations are under review.
According to the claim, the tensions did not start with one incident but built up over time. Ballinas says the mayor repeatedly showed troubling behavior at city-related events and that concerns were not handled properly once they were raised.
One of the most serious allegations centers on an April 2025 City Council meeting, where Ballinas says Aitken arrived looking visibly impaired. After a closed session, Ballinas says she ended up driving the mayor home in a city vehicle belonging to then-City Manager Jim Vanderpool.
The claim says that during the ride, Aitken rummaged through the vehicle and Vanderpool’s personal belongings, then took photos on her phone. Ballinas says she objected right away and told the mayor to delete the pictures because the information was private.
The filing also takes aim at Aitken’s conduct in separate conversations involving Ballinas’ background. It alleges the mayor made repeated insulting comments about Ballinas’ Mexican heritage and used the phrase “dirty Mexican,” a claim Aitken has denied.
Another incident described in the claim allegedly happened at Disneyland in May 2025. Ballinas says she offered to drive Aitken home because the mayor seemed too intoxicated to drive safely, but that Aitken refused because she did not want “a Mexican” driving her.
Aitken has pushed back on that accusation and said the slur attributed to her was never spoken. She also said the matter should be investigated, while stressing that she has supported the LGBTQ community.
The complaint does not stop at those allegations. Ballinas says a team dinner turned into another uncomfortable scene when Aitken became physically affectionate with another person, including touching and grabbing him, which allegedly led to the mayor’s husband removing her from the event.
After that dinner, Ballinas says Aitken became angry while walking back toward the hotel and knocked or pushed over a bicycle, breaking its mirror. The claim says the mayor later fell in the street, and when Ballinas told her husband that Aitken needed help, he allegedly replied, “Don’t we all?”
Ballinas also says questions about sexuality became a pattern, not a one-off. She alleges that during a June 10, 2026 birthday lunch at Disneyland’s Club 33, Aitken drank alcohol and repeatedly asked whether Ballinas was a lesbian.
The claim says the awkward behavior continued at the 1901 Lounge, where Aitken allegedly pressed a Disney cast member about whether he was gay or straight and asked about his dating life. Disney later reportedly sent written notice saying cast members had complained about “rude, insensitive, and inappropriate remarks” during the outing.
Beyond the personal conduct accusations, the filing says Ballinas suffered retaliation after speaking up. She says she was forced to take leave beginning around July 31 after reporting or opposing conduct she believed crossed legal or workplace lines.
Anaheim says an independent review is in the works, and Aitken has said she will cooperate. The political pressure is now landing at the worst possible time, with Aitken also trying to win another term in the Nov. 3 election.
For city workers and residents, the bigger question is how deep the dysfunction runs inside the mayor’s office. The allegations paint a picture of a workplace where power, personal behavior, and politics have collided in a way that is hard to ignore.
