Lincoln City Council refuses calls to censure Andreatta for controversial comments
Holly Andreatta’s fellow Lincoln City Council members opted not to censure her Tuesday night after a lengthy public debate surrounding the polarizing comments she made at a conservative high school club last month.
Andreatta gained national attention in December after her remarks at the school’s inaugural Turning Point USA chapter meeting at Twelve Bridges High School were published by The Sacramento Bee.
In her 26-minute speech at the Club America meeting, Andreatta tied her daughter’s sexual orientation to childhood trauma, and said that separation of church and state was a myth. She also relayed the beliefs of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Marxist and that diversity, equity and inclusion policies have resulted in lower standards for airline pilots.
Since her remarks were made public, Andreatta and the city of Lincoln have been subject to national scrutiny. Mayor Richard Pearl said that the situation has been “almost all-consuming to this community, to the council and certainly to the city staff,” distracting from other city matters that need attention.
Ultimately Pearl did not move forward to censure Andreatta, but noted that he was conflicted about how to proceed — Pearl previously stated his opposition to Andreatta’s remarks, but affirmed his position that she had the First Amendment right to say them.
“I would not support a censure motion,” he said. “I don’t think what happened makes it rise to that level.”
That said, Pearl acknowledged the “chasm” before the city. He went on to say that “words and actions have consequences,” but did not specify what those consequences would look like. Citing what they described as a “threat of litigation,” the council will discuss the matter in a future closed session.
“We’re trying to find our way of how we can work through this and hopefully come back together and move forward,” he said.
Andreatta apologized for some of her remarks at the meeting, but also said that her character had been “grossly twisted and mischaracterized.”
Although the club’s marketing of the meeting introduced her as mayor, Andreatta claimed that she was instead speaking in her capacity as a pastor and was referred to as mayor because of student error. Andreatta’s term as mayor, which is a rotating position in the city, had recently ended.
“They invited me for that reason, the other hats I wear, and I thought I made it clear, but apparently it wasn’t clear enough and some people came away with the misconception that I was there in an official capacity,” she said.
Pearl and Andreatta both suggested updating the council’s code of ethics to include language guiding officials on how to differentiate when they are speaking in an official capacity or a personal one.
Calls for censure
Community organizations like the Placer County Democratic Party and NorCal Resist rallied members to advocate for the council to censure Andreatta at a meeting Tuesday night.
Supporters of the councilmember narrowly outnumbered those calling for her censure. In total more than 100 people attended the city council meeting, with about 35 addressing the council directly.
Those in favor of censuring Andreatta argued that because she was invited and introduced to the club as a mayor, making “racist,” “homophobic,” “ahistorical” and “Christian white nationalist” comments in her capacity as an elected official violated her ethical duty as a leader.
“Censure is the appropriate formal mechanism to the council to dissociate itself from behavior that contravenes its ethical standards and to discourage others from mimicking this behavior, which will reduce the risk of division and violence in our community,” Ruth Cox, president of the Democratic Lincoln Club said.
Those speaking in support of Andreatta said that she was speaking in her capacity as a Christian and private citizen. Many questioned the offensiveness of her speech and argued that the spirit of her remarks were in line with Kirk’s purported belief in uncomfortable civic discourse.
“Any consequence you impose will set a very dangerous precedent for anyone who takes offense to a statement made by a city official can call for disciplinary action and be successful,” Rita Piziali, the chairperson for the Lincoln Hills Republican Club said. “Are you really prepared to deal with that situation?”
One speaker suggested that outcry about Andreatta’s comments was related to her opposition to a proposed medical respite center for homeless residents in Lincoln, which has been the subject of several lawsuits and controversy among Placer County politicians.
What happened at Club America
In the aftermath of her remarks being made public, Andreatta chastised her critics and media outlets, saying that her claims were taken out of context. She also publicly apologized to her adult daughter for sharing details about her personal life.
Students reported immediate social effects on campus after the Club America meeting. Senior Rebecca Warner, who identifies as a lesbian, said she was approached by a student immediately after the meeting who told her that trauma is what caused her to become gay.
Warner, who has also organized public opposition to the club, advocated for Andreatta’s censure.
“By censuring her, you’re not choosing a side – Democrat or Republican,” she said. “You’re choosing to protect students and citizens of all backgrounds.”
The club continues to operate at Twelve Bridges High. In a news release last month, the school district acknowledged the controversy surrounding Club America and said that the district allowing a student club to exist “does not constitute endorsement of the club’s beliefs or viewpoints,” noting their legal obligation to uphold student rights under federal law.
