Feldstein Soto sides with city on GLAZA bankruptcy filing
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced yesterday that a U.S. Bankruptcy Court has dismissed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filed in June by the Greater Los Angeles Zoological Association, siding with the city’s argument that GLAZA sought bankruptcy protection solely to delay a pending state lawsuit over roughly $50 million in charitable funds raised on the city’s behalf for the LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
GLAZA was formed in 1963 as a nonprofit to help the city fundraise for the Zoo, which the city has owned and operated since it opened in 1966. The relationship between the city and GLAZA ended in June 2025, and Feldstein Soto’s office secured a preliminary injunction that same month blocking GLAZA from misusing the disputed funds.
The city filed suit in December 2024 alleging breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, seeking monetary damages along with injunctive and declaratory relief.
“We are pleased that the Bankruptcy Court recognized GLAZA’s bankruptcy filing as yet another bad faith attempt to derail the ongoing litigation for its own benefit,” said Feldstein Soto. “The filings in the bankruptcy case revealed that GLAZA paid over a million dollars over the last year or so — at least $748,000 to its president and at least $390,000 to its lawyers — to obstruct the City’s efforts to recover its own funds from GLAZA as the City’s fiduciary.”
At the July 23 hearing on the city’s motion to dismiss, the bankruptcy court stated that the case should be dismissed for cause, and that the cause was bad faith.
The court went further, calling GLAZA’s petition “about as bad faith as you can get for a bankruptcy filing” and finding an “ample record” suggesting the filing was intended to thwart or delay the city’s state court case.
The dismissal clears the way for the city’s underlying state court lawsuit to proceed without further delay from the bankruptcy proceeding, allowing the litigation over the $50 million in Zoo funds to move forward on its original track.
Kamlager-Dove, Chu, Cisneros target ICE medical neglect with new bill
U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Culver City, Crenshaw, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, West Adams, Mid-City) held a press conference Thursday to announce her forthcoming Stop ICE’s Medical Neglect Act of 2026, legislation that would create a standardized system for reporting medical neglect in ICE detention facilities and require every complaint to be investigated by board-certified medical professionals.
Kamlager-Dove was joined by U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Alhambra, and the west San Gabriel Valley), Rep. Lou Correa (D-Anaheim), and U.S. Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-Covina, West Covina, Baldwin Park, El Monte, Azusa, La Puente).
The bill is a direct response to the case of Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a Kamlager-Dove constituent who has been detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center since December after suffering a gunshot wound during an October immigration enforcement traffic stop. Parias has described ongoing pain, limited mobility, swelling, fevers and persistent headaches, with concerns he may have developed a bone infection.
“Our humanity does not end at the doors of an ICE detention center. No one should suffer in government custody because their medical needs were ignored,” said Kamlager-Dove. “Yet for nearly a year, my constituent Ricardo has repeatedly sought medical care at Adelanto, only to watch his pleas go unanswered and his condition worsen. Tragically, Ricardo’s story is not unique. That’s why I’m introducing the Stop ICE’s Medical Neglect Act to track these instances of abuse and ensure every detainee receives the timely and appropriate care they deserve.”
The bill would direct the Department of Homeland Security to create an accessible complaint database for detainees, their legal counsel, and family members, and would assign contracted, board-certified medical practitioners with correctional or detention experience to review each complaint and provide treatment, in person or by telehealth, until relief is provided. The legislation also includes confidentiality protections against retaliation and requires language-appropriate interpretation services during medical visits.
Kamlager-Dove’s office says her caseworkers began pressing DHS on Parias’ treatment plan in April after his family reached out for help, and that she personally conducted an oversight visit to Adelanto in May.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered sweeping changes to conditions at the facility following advocacy from Kamlager-Dove and others. Last week, she took to the House floor again to demand Parias receive adequate care.
Torres pushes to reclassify 911 dispatchers as protective service workers
U.S. Rep. Norma Torres (D-Pomona, San Bernardino County) led a bipartisan letter Thursday with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) urging the Office of Management and Budget to reclassify 911 dispatchers under the Protective Service Occupations category in the federal government’s 2028 Standard Occupational Classification update.
Public safety telecommunicators are currently grouped under Office and Administrative Support Occupations, the same federal category as secretaries, office clerks and taxicab dispatchers, despite serving as first responders who provide life-saving medical instructions, assess scene safety for arriving officers and firefighters, and coordinate emergency response in real time.
Torres, a former 911 dispatcher with the Los Angeles Police Department, and Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent and EMT, both bring direct professional experience to the push.
“As the first point of contact in emergencies, the professionals who answer calls to 9-1-1 provide life-saving emergency medical instruction to callers, assess scene safety for arriving responders, and have a critical role for a variety of emergencies,” the lawmakers wrote. “This is difficult work that often comes with high burnout rates and significant mental health impacts. Unfortunately, the SOC currently classifies these professionals among Office and Administrative Support Occupations, which include secretaries, office clerks, and taxicab dispatchers. This classification is inaccurate and a disservice to their lifesaving work.”
The effort has drawn endorsements from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the National Emergency Number Association, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Association of State 911 Administrators, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National League of Cities, and PORAC, along with local agencies including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Barger honors Camp Glenn Rockey staff for rescue during Ellie Fire
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger (R-Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, San Marino, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, portions of the San Gabriel Valley) honored nine Camp Glenn Rockey staff members during this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting for rescuing three family members from a vehicle accident that occurred during the Ellie Fire emergency in San Dimas.
The Ellie Fire ignited June 13 roughly two miles west of the camp, prompting staff to implement emergency protocols to protect youth on-site while asking visitors to leave as a precaution. Moments later, a family departing after visiting their child was involved in a serious crash when their vehicle malfunctioned while backing out of the parking lot, sending it down a hillside where it landed on its side, trapping the occupants inside.
“These nine County employees demonstrated extraordinary courage under incredibly difficult circumstances,” said Barger. “While responding to the challenges of a nearby wildfire and continuing their responsibilities to protect youth at Camp Glenn Rockey, they did not hesitate to risk their own safety to help complete strangers. Their selflessness and steady leadership saved lives. Their actions deserve to be recognized.”
Deputy Probation Officer Abel Lopez was first on scene, breaking a window to help free the injured mother, while Department of Mental Health Clinician Jessica Pelayo, a volunteer with the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station Search and Rescue Team, joined the effort shortly after.
Senior General Maintenance Workers Gabriel Ortiz and Edward Pinowar, along with General Services Managers Nicholas Swartz and Alfonso Avila, brought tools to free the trapped grandparents, while Supervising Deputy Probation Officers Adrienne Steward and Julio Garcia coordinated the emergency response while simultaneously managing the wildfire situation and preparing the camp for possible evacuation.
Deputy Probation Officer Norma Haibel served as a translator between the injured mother and emergency personnel. All three family members were safely transported for medical treatment once first responders arrived.
