Palm Desert Mayor Alleges Colleague Slapped Her

Palm Desert Mayor Says She is Prepared to File Assault Charges

PALM DESERT — Mayor Karina Quintanilla told Uken Report that she has filed a formal complaint with the city alleging that fellow Councilmember Kathleen Kelly hit her forearm, four times.

“This was not a tap,” Quintanilla wrote in her emailed complaint. “It was a smack, the way you would discourage a child from touching something they should not touch,” she wrote in the complaint.

And, according to the complaint, Kelly slapped her a second time.

Here is a text message the city clerk sent the city manager after learning of the alleged slap.

It all allegedly happened at a March 13 Housing Commission meeting. Quintanilla was running behind and was no more than 3-5 minutes late to the Housing Committee Meeting, according to the complaint. Staff immediately showed her where there was an open chair and brought Quintanilla’s name plate to her while Kelly had started presenting the clocks to the two members. Kelly reportedly asked Quintanilla if she’d to offer remarks. Quintanilla did and afterward heard somebody request pictures.

Councilmember Kelly was on Quintanilla’s left according to the complaint and each Councilmember had one of the retiring commissioners on her side. One of the spouses took pictures and said she couldn’t figure out her new phone, and the other spouse said she would take the pics.  Quintanilla raised her left hand to point to the clocks and suggest that they pose with their clocks, according to the complaint.

That is when Kelly allegedly hit the mayor, according to the complaint.

“….. said she needed to take pictures too, and I made the same suggestion because I imagined that this would probably be part of the Weekly Admin Report. My shock doubled when Councilmember Kelly repeated her astonishing action and hit me again.  After the pictures, I leaned in and quietly said to Councilmember Kelly, ‘I did not appreciate that.'”

After the meeting, Quintanilla write that she was having a conversation with Commissioner Dominic Moore and Commissioner Franchon-Marie Siddiq and a representative from Falkenberg-Gilliam and Associates regarding how cost projections were calculated.

“Councilmember Kelly came over, interrupted, and kneeled to my left offering her apology. I let her know that I appreciated her apology.  She continued “We all have bad days” and I replied “Yes, but we do not hit each other.” She offered her apology again and I thanked her for apologizing,” according to the complaint,”

Kelly told Uken Report she did not slap Quintanilla. She did, however, try to apologize to Quintanilla.  If Kelly did not slap Quintanilla, then why apologize?

“Because she expressed offense,” Kelly told Uken Report.

Watch the video and judge for yourself in the link provided. Go to March 13, 2024:  Minute 4:22 and 4:34.

Both women are seeking reelection in the November election, although in different districts.

“Leadership is calling out the bad behavior, not enabling it,” Quintanilla said.

The complaint was sent to City Manager Todd Hileman, City Attorney Isra Shah and Human Resources Director Andrea Staehle. Quintanilla said she has heard nothing from the attorney or human resources director. Hileman did not return request for comment.

Dominic Moore, a member of the Housing Commission board, told Uken Report he witnessed the incident, although he did not characterize it as a slap.

“I saw some kind of hand movement, like pushing away type of thing,” Moore said. “It was kind of shocking. It threw me for a loop.”

Technically, Kelly is the City Council’s liaison to the Housing Commission, Quintanilla often attends as well, according to the city clerk.

 

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