The City Council today formally approved the dates for both appointing and electing a replacement for the disgraced former first-term council member, Omar Torres.

Torres’ council chair was again conspicuously empty, and he continues to be a no-show at various boards and committees.

The mayor said that for the past two weeks, Torres has not shown up to any council meetings, community meetings or committees to which he has been assigned.

The pleas from business groups are based on revelations in an Oct. 1 police affidavit of sexually explicit comments by Councilmember Omar Torres about young boys.

Omar Torres’ attorney affirmed that the first-term council member has engaged in sexually explicit social media activities revealed in graphic detail in an affidavit filed in connection with search warrants on Torres’ property.

Neither Torres or police gave any details about the allegations. Several media outlets have reported the allegations involve possible sexual misconduct related to online searches.

One complaint alleges that a retired California Highway Patrol officer sexually harassed and sexually battered a female employee at a San Jose CHP facility.

Scott Shaw's trial in U.S. District Court in San Jose on civil rights violations ended in a mistrial, but now he faces time in prison after pleading guilty.

San Jose State University announced reforms of its Title IX enforcement efforts the same day that a new critical report was released.

The release of the report came on the day that jury selection began in the federal trial of former San Jose State athletic trainer Scott Shaw on federal civil rights charges, and also came less than a week after CSU trustees announced the appointment of a new chancellor, Mildred Garcia, effective Oct. 1.

The resignation of Sonoma State University President Judy Sakaki is the third in six months in the CSU system, where at least eight campuses are roiling with sexual misconduct controversies.

A federal grand jury had indicted Dr. John Giacomini n March 2020, charging him with one count of abusive sexual contact with a subordinate at the VA hospital in Palo Alto. Giacomini pleaded guilty to the charge, which is a felony.  

The former City of Santa Clara councilman is accused of forging six Foothill-DeAnza Community College pay stubs for 2021 – even though he last worked for the college in 2019 – in seeking to obtain a $690,000 loan from Finance of America Mortgage.

Shannon O’Connor is facing 39 criminal charges related to her efforts to separate victims from their parents using Snapchat, provide them with alcohol and allow them to engage in reckless behavior at her home.