Formal Complaint Filed Against Brooklyn Park Council Member
A complaint filed against a Brooklyn Park City Council member could result in an official rebuke. Meanwhile, that same council member claims she has been mistreated.
Maria Tran is serving her first term on the Brooklyn Park City Council. She took her seat in January 2023.
According to redacted documents obtained by CCX News, a Brooklyn Park city staff member has filed a formal human resources complaint against Tran.
In that complaint, the staff member claims Tran has created a hostile work environment.
Tran denies the claims. Furthermore, she claims she has faced “intimidation and disrespect” from unnamed officials while serving on the council.
Brooklyn Park City Council Member Maria Tran speaks with CCX News.
Workplace Harassment Complaint
The formal complaint, which was filed in January of this year, claims that Tran has made “repeated public accusations and disparaging innuendos,” on multiple occasions.
“She has demonstrated a pattern of behavior that’s intended to dehumanize me, humiliate me, and attack my integrity, professional credentials and competence,” the complaint reads. “All the attacks are based on inaccurate information and conspiracy theories around process and outcomes that are regulated by state statute, city ordinances, policy and guidelines.”
The complaint includes a log of interactions between Tran and the staff member.
It alleges that Tran had a “persistent pattern of … trying to find mistakes or wrongdoing in my work by contacting my supervisors. It’s clearly a targeted character assassination campaign against me based on falsehoods.”
The complaint alleges that Tran is in violation of the council’s Elected Officials Rules of Procedures and Code of Conduct.
Elected officials are also subject to the city’s Respect in the Workplace policy, according to a city spokesperson.
The staff member requests that Tran be censured. A censure is the strongest form of official rebuke available to the council.
A city spokesperson declined to comment further on this story.
The city city’s flow chart of approaching code of conduct violations is available below.
A flow chart shows the city of Brooklyn Park’s process for addressing potential elected official code of conduct violations.
Tran denies the claims in the complaint.
“What’s hostile when I ask questions of transparency?” she said. “We have to ask questions for [the residents], and when people don’t want to answer or, you know, the answer is not enough, then I ask, give me information, I want to look into it.”
Tran’s Claims of ‘Intimidation and Disrespect’
Tran has been vocal in council meetings when she feels she’s been mistreated.
“They all bully, you know?” Tran said during an Aug. 28 council meeting. “Right here in the chamber. This is not the first time. Purposefully. Men with no balls … and no education either. Very low, low, low.”
She claimed this week that she’s faced “intimidation and disrespect” due to her ethnicity and age.
“I have to tell that, it’s been very hard for me,” she said. “I’ve been dealing with intimidation, alienating, isolating,” she said.
She also says she’s been pushing for transparency at city hall.
“I just want to serve the people — I want the, you know, the transparency, the respect for the people,” Tran said. “I’m outspoken, I’m very direct … I’ve been told, like, don’t come to the city any other day than just Monday for council meetings. And I come more. And I find out a lot of interesting things … that’s when the intimidation and abuse come to the climax.”
Tran also recently announced that she won’t be attending council meetings in person as a sign of protest.
“I think on the day of something very important, I have to be there, I will find somebody like my bodyguard to be there with me, or my legal representative,” she said.
She provided the following statement to CCX News regarding that decision:
I wish to clarify that I have not resigned, but I am attending council meetings remotely due to an environment of intimidation and disrespect, which stems from biases against my ethnicity and age. My absence in person is a protest against the toxic culture fostered by my bullies, and certain staffs, especially given my criticisms apparent favoritism and lack of transparency in distributing funds and city resources. I am fully committed to my responsibilities and urge immediate action to rectify the discrimination and unethical conduct prevailing in our council. I stand firm in my dedication to the constituents, expecting everyone to embody the integrity and fairness our community deserves.
March is Woman History month and my birthday month. I have a book to recommend for readers: “America’s Women : 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmate, and Heroines” by Gail Collins.
My message for the world is that parents should encourage your children to read more of America’s history and invest time in education and career. Females need to be financially independence.”
