Legal battle begins between West Hollywood and its mayor, Sepi Shyne

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Mayor Sepi Shyne leaves Council chambers after feeling ill Oc.t 2, 2023.

The mayor of West Hollywood is taking her city to court.

Mayor Sepi Shyne has filed a workers’ compensation claim against WeHo over an undisclosed incident that occurred October 2 at West Hollywood Library — the same evening she was transported by ambulance from a City Council meeting to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

On October 20, Shyne’s attorneys at Gateway Pacific informed WeHo they were representing her in a dispute over benefits due as a result of an “industrial injury which occurred during the course and scope of her employment.” All information regarding the injury was redacted from documents provided yesterday to WEHOonline by the city in response to a public information request we submitted December 15.

The workers’ compensation claim deepens the mystery surrounding the night of Shyne’s hospitalization, which she never spoke about publicly, and its link to a man named Kaleb Daniel Simon, against whom she has sought a workplace violence restraining order over an occurrence that happened — you guessed it — October 2, according to documents filed with the Workers’ Compensation Board in Long Beach.

The date of the filing was December 15, the same date as our public information request to the city.

More information on the defendant is forthcoming. 

Shyne was discharged from the hospital the following day, reportedly after being treated for a panic attack. She became WeHo’s mayor last January shortly after it was revealed she intended to run for Congress. Her term ends Monday, when she will return to her role as councilmember, allowing her to devote more attention to the primary election in March. John M. Erickson will be installed as the new mayor on Monday night.

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Franki Jacobs
10 months ago

Blessings to SEPI SHYNE! I’m meditating 🧘🏿‍♀️ 😌 and sending distant reiki to Sepi during this difficult time facing a male predator as I’m not a public figure, and a private professional who has been licensed in intervention and multiple therapy and meditation pathways to support trauma survivors and my journey too was triggers of PTSD so I understand the hospital journeys too. I almost died more than once from felony stalker/violent crime men and one I knew, nephew of Actor xxxx xxxxx who once lived with me. I’m very lucky to be alive…from more than one stalker male, crushed… Read more »

Last edited 10 months ago by Franki Jacobs
Cy Husain
11 months ago

Though I have more than a few policy and political disagreements with the Mayor Sepi Shyne, the current racist & misogynist attacks against her are highly unacceptable. YES she was harassed by a man with a well established record of doing the same thing to others, so she has sought a workplace violence restraining order. Some very reasonable concerns and a very reasonable response. If the same thing happened to a conservative white woman in the same position there likely would have been an instant violent response from a law enforcement SWAT team.

Not Cool
Not Cool
11 months ago
Reply to  Cy Husain

Interesting that you appear to be acquainted with the perpetrator. How is that?

Cy Husain
11 months ago
Reply to  Not Cool

I have no knowledge about the perpetrator beyond which I have found from publicly available online sources.

Not Cool
Not Cool
11 months ago
Reply to  Cy Husain

There appears to be no reason for your comment. Additionally you may have missed the fact that former Mayor Shyne has made misogynist comments about private citizens in a public venue, notably City Council Meetings. One of her out of line comments was directed to a conservative white woman. When Shyne was contacted to determine that she had possibly misunderstood the situation, she failed to reply.

Cy Husain
11 months ago
Reply to  Not Cool

The Mayor shouldn’t reply to imaginary events that only occurred in the minds of right-wing reactionary internet trolls.🤣

Not Cool
Not Cool
10 months ago
Reply to  Cy Husain

Statements like that simply discredit you.

Cy Husain
10 months ago
Reply to  Not Cool

Only with those unwilling to accept the truth but, must admit that can at times be a formidable group❗

CHLOE ROSS
CHLOE ROSS
11 months ago

The first time Ms. Shyne opened her yap as the Mayor all that heard her knew exactly with whom they dealt. Forewarned is forearmed.

Jason Reed
11 months ago

This article is trash and so are all of the deplorables on this rag. Sepi Shyne has made every campaign promise and actually helped this city out of a disastrous pandemic. I challenge any of you clowns to actually provide hard facts instead of opinions, then I’ll take all you children seriously. This is a workers compensation claim, not a formal lawsuit. This isn’t journalism, it’s fake news. Also, the writer used to work for Sepi Shyne’s first campaign. What a joke.

Last edited 11 months ago by Jason Reed
Larry Block
11 months ago
Reply to  Jason Reed

This is completely untrue. Sepi did not run on ‘defunding the sheriff’, nor ‘raising the minimum wages to highest in the nation’ , or ‘eliminating the traffic lanes on fountain’ or that she planned to use her term to ‘run for congress’. Nor does any employee need to retain a lawyer to file a workmen’s compensation claim.

West
West
11 months ago
Reply to  Larry Block

Brandon and Larry have undeniably provided a vital space for political criticism of elected officials that is the bedrock of an open democratic society. I don’t agree with all of the posters on this platform, or all of the editorial decisions around certain issues, but they deserve much more credit than has been afforded them over the last few years by certain members of city Council.

West
West
11 months ago
Reply to  Jason Reed

Sepi would love us all to forget how she championed the “Shyne Fine”, ticketing people $300 for not wearing a useless single layer paper mask outside— despite warnings from community members across the political spectrum that such unscientific, and as it turns out, unconstitutional punitive measures would likely target homeless people. A warning that unfortunately proved to be true, as documented by my local cop Watch channel.

This is just one example of many of Sepi’s shameful medical segregationist policies during the pandemic, that were not based in science but merely her own reactionary prejudice.

Details
Details
11 months ago
Reply to  West

Were any residents actually ticketed with a $300. Fine? If so how many?

West
West
11 months ago
Reply to  Details

I would also like to know that information. I can confirm at least two homeless young men were captured on film being ticketed for not wearing paper masks, despite wearing fabric face coverings at the time (both useless, either way).

But the absurd biosecurity theater of a paper medical mask was required by Sepi and the Council majority that voted for the rule. Shame on every one of them.

Cy Husain
11 months ago
Reply to  West

Even modest Masking 😷 will at the very least reduce the R number of any disease outbreak, slowing its progression. N-95s have potential of completely containing or shutting down an entire Pandemic ☣ ❗ See: The Astounding Physics of N-95 Masks.

Last edited 11 months ago by Cy Husain
Cy Husain
11 months ago
Reply to  West

NO NOT unscientific Masking 😷 in Epidemiology is in the category of Nonpharmaceutical Disease Containment Methods long proven effective against ANY disease especially in the absence of an effective vaccine 💉 . So effective were the containment methods against the COVID-19 Pandemic ☣ , they drove Influenza aka the Flu to its lowest levels ever due to its lower R number.

West
West
11 months ago
Reply to  Jason Reed

Sepi Shyne’s “leadership” through the pandemic is exemplified by the “Shyne Fine”: $300 citations for not wearing a useless single layer paper mask outside that targeted homeless people— despite warnings from activists across the political divide that such punitive measures were harmful and antiscientific— and Sepi running away from unvaccinated people at an outdoor picnic like we were early AIDS patients. Her reactionary and prejudiced medical segregationist policies are a stain on her legacy, no matter how much she would love us all to forget.

Last edited 11 months ago by West
Cy Husain
11 months ago
Reply to  West

Sepi Shyne has a number of very legitimate concerns over the unvaccinated during this COVID-19 Pandemic ☣ considering that they are the major drivers of transmission/infection and producers of new COVID-19 Variants. ⚠ Do consider that COVID-19 Has Higher Morbidity & Mortality Rates Than Other Respiratory Viral Infections

Last edited 11 months ago by Cy Husain
West
West
11 months ago
Reply to  Cy Husain

Casual observers ought to know that Cy literally works for BioNTech. As for my original point, Sepi’s mask fine required at least a single layer paper mask or face penalizing. With $300 ticket. So yes, even by your own standards, it was completely unscientific. I won’t bother to engage with your outdated and frankly highly prejudiced insistence that unvaccinated people drive variants except to remind you of the long understood epidemiological principle of antibody dependent enhancement (ADE). I’m sure you know about it, although it doesn’t fit with your employer’s narrative.

Cy Husain
11 months ago
Reply to  West

Reality(ADE) Antibody Dependent Enhancement does NOT occur with COVID-19 vaccines:

The New England Journal of Medicine
Pan-Sarbecovirus Neutralizing Antibodies in BNT162b2-Immunized SARS-CoV-1 Survivors

NO evidence of antibody-dependent enhancement with the COVID vaccines:

Nature Microbiology
Antibody-dependent enhancement and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and therapies
Numerous studies consistently show (ADE) does NOT occur with COVID-19 Vaccines, antivaxx claims of ADE are NOT backed by a single study result.

Cy Husain
11 months ago
Reply to  West

No matter what anti-masker bots say, respiratory MASKS 😷 WORK
In case you don’t trust the US and other western imperialists please see: A Multinational Delphi consensus to end the COVID-19 Public Health threat, endorses nonpharmaceutical containment & Vaccines 💉 . Study included work of MD ⚕ /PhD/MPH from Palestine, Iran, & Russia.

Jamie Francis
Jamie Francis
11 months ago

Greeneyedguy online again. Moderator Didn’t we as other commenters on this platform complain about this person’s incessant and bullying tactics and comments. Apparently how is this person able to continue with apparent vitriol! Please know that other commenters are not going to tolerate this! I thought the moderator would intervene and make this person aware of bullying and false information or attacking people online or inaccurate statements is wrong and won’t be tolerated! How is this person allowed to go unwarranted and unmonitored on this platform when someone is speaking about the records and behaviors of publicly elected people and… Read more »

Last edited 11 months ago by Jamie Francis
#wokeisbs
#wokeisbs
11 months ago
Reply to  Jamie Francis

Greeneyedguy is John Erickson’s schlepper for media comments online.

Where is Common Sense?
Where is Common Sense?
11 months ago

Is the public to believe that an incident happened, presumably in council chambers within eyesight of the public, was severe enough to excuse herself from the meeting to be taken for medical treatment but made no attempt to notify deputies on the scene following the moment if incidence ? Apparently took time to consider the “event” and came to the conclusion to file a WC action?

Where is Common Sense?
Where is Common Sense?
11 months ago

Another observation is that the incident, according to the documents, reportedly occurred at 625 San Vicente Blvd. City Council Chambers and 8300 Santa Monica Blvd., City Hall. If the incident occurred at City Hall, it appears that Ms. Shyne spoke to no one, sheriffs or other and then reacted hours later at the council meeting? It also oddly states she is Mayor while a City Councilmember, technically correct but was this done for impact value? More and more curious.

Tom
Tom
11 months ago

I guess the fact that no-one running against her has mentioned her antics shows how completely pointless her bid for Congress is.

March 4th is the primary people. Go vote.

hopeless
hopeless
11 months ago

Sepi Shyne is a disgrace to our once-great city. She is a liar, a bully, and and a racist, and is completely unsuited to making decisions on behalf of others.Let’s show her the door and get her the hell out of town.

#wokeisbs
#wokeisbs
11 months ago
Reply to  hopeless

Hopefully she will take John Erickson with her.

david
david
11 months ago

I don’t think Sepi Shyne is capable of holding public office if she is as thin skinned as it appears. There have been too many moments where she has read other’s remarks as attacks against her when they were just points being made to her inability to be compassionate to her constituents that disagree with her. If she felt unsafe she had at her disposal The Sherrif’s Department to keep her safe. This lawsuit is hard to take serious when the entire filing is redacted. I also am a firm believer in what you put out into the universe comes… Read more »

MaryLynn
MaryLynn
11 months ago
Reply to  david

I went through the city staff directory and no one by this name is employed by WeHo.

Your description of Sepi Whine (not a typo) mirrors the statements made by CH Staff toward Danny Rivas who lacks compassion, understanding, and so on. Seems like his idea of having Block by Block at every corner of city buildings, instead of the WHSD won’t save the city money with this WC claim from the then WEHO MAYOR! Unreal.

How much is this going to cost us taxpayers?

hifi5000
hifi5000
11 months ago

The more and more I read about Sepi Shyne.the mayor of West Hollywood,I believe she needs to leave public office forever.She doesn’t have the temperament to be a public official.She probably got into a physical confrontation with this fellow who injured her,thus this lawsuit against the city.

#wokeisbs
#wokeisbs
11 months ago

Unfortunately, no one is suing Shyne for breach of public trust along with the city of West Hollywood and the city council etc etc.

greeneyedguy
greeneyedguy
11 months ago
Reply to  #wokeisbs

If you feel so strongly about it, why don’t you do it?

Leaving the same comment 4789 times hasn’t seemed to inspire anyone.

Jerome
Jerome
11 months ago
Reply to  #wokeisbs

Sadly, with everything coming out, it seems the root of the problem is at City Hall. We have untrustworthy and corrupt individuals inside CH and same type of problematic and troubled individuals running our city.

Alleged disgraceful individuals like Sepi Shine, John Erickson and the CH managerial staff mentioned in all the comments must step down before a lawsuit is brought against the city.

Leslie Karliss
Leslie Karliss
11 months ago

I don’t agree with many of Sepi’s positions on council or the way she has treated some residents, but the vitriol expressed here, based on so little information, is simply unkind and unfair. We have no idea what may have happened to her that day before she attended the council meeting and had a panic attack.

WehoQueen
WehoQueen
11 months ago
Reply to  Leslie Karliss

We know enough.