City of Sacramento seeks restraining order against a councilwoman’s staff member
The city of Sacramento is seeking a temporary restraining order against a councilwoman’s staff member.
Earlier this month, Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela hired Skyler Henry to work in her office editing videos and answering constituent calls. The restraining order would prohibit Henry from coming to City Hall, requiring him to work remotely.
In March, Henry made controversial comments on the progressive podcast Voices: River City, which was covered by national conservative outlet Fox News.
“You should be terrified for the rest of your life,” Henry said of Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s performative “thumbs down” vote against the $15 minimum wage in the coronavirus relief package. “You should never be able to leave your house if that is how you’re going to use your position to govern. And like, to me, the same thing sort of applies with the mayor and the city manager of this city (Sacramento). It’s like no, no, no, you don’t get to do that. You do not get to make the decisions that you have made over and over and over again to the detriment of everybody who lives here and then go home to your f------ little McMansion in Natomas and like have a good night’s rest. I’m sorry, you don’t get to do that. You do not have a right to that. Absolutely not.”
Henry was defending a controversial protest held outside City Manager Howard Chan’s home in March. A flyer for the protest showed Chan’s name in red font resembling dripping blood.
The council voted 8-1 Tuesday to authorize the city attorney’s office to seek the temporary restraining order. It would prohibit Henry from coming within 100 feet of Chan or his family. It would also apply to Chan’s home, City Hall, Chan’s vehicle and his children’s schools.
“This is such an unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in, and we are only taking this step because efforts to mitigate the situation were not successful,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in a release. “This isn’t about what Mr. (Henry) believes or his right to express it. Indeed, if holding different opinions and having to work with people who disagree with your opinions were a disqualifier for city work, I expect half of the City workforce might not have been hired. His right to expression is sacred and is not at issue here. But the City of Sacramento simply cannot ask employees at City Hall to sit alongside a co-worker who has openly advocated for terror tactics against them. As an employer, we cannot require people to work in an environment where they – with excellent reason – feel their safety is in question.”
Chan learned on June 6 that Henry would be working on the same floor as him, according to his declaration to the court.
“Since then, I am even more terrified for my safety and that of my family,” Chan’s declaration reads. “Based on (Henry’s) past conduct and statements, I believe it is clear (Henry) will continue to escalate his conduct if he disagrees with my decisions as City Manager. Furthermore, as (Henry) works in the same floor as me, his past conduct and statements make me afraid of working in my office, especially when I am alone and when I am working late at night.”
Henry reacted to the news Wednesday on Twitter.
“I have never stated I, or anyone else, should commit violence against City leaders or City staff. I have never committed a violent act against anyone,” Henry wrote. “I firmly believe some members of the City have created this entire situation to suppress dissent and that it reflects a shameful political attack against Councilwoman Valenzuela.”
Valenzuela is keeping Henry on her staff, she said.
“I’m incredibly disappointed the city has decided to take this step,” Valenzuela said. “We’re currently reviewing the evidence they presented and will have more to say in the coming days. I don’t believe the comments he’s made pose a credible threat of violence. He’s stated unequivocally he does not condone violence and does not wish violence on anybody.”
The petition includes more than a dozen pages of Henry’s social media posts and podcast comments that criticize Chan, Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the Sacramento Police Department.
The podcast hosts have been critical of Chan for his decision not to open a warming center for the homeless during a major storm in January, and not to fire the officers who fatally shot Stephon Clark in 2018. No charges were filed against either officer after several investigations.
A judge will decide whether to grant the restraining order. The city has asked the judge to grant the order this week, prior to Henry’s first day.
This story was originally published June 16, 2021 at 3:09 PM.
