Kimberly Ellis, the embattled director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, was removed from her position late Wednesday following a unanimous vote by the department’s oversight board, the Commission on the Status of Women.
The decision comes amid allegations of financial mismanagement, failure to disclose political work, and questionable expenditures during her tenure.
Ellis, appointed in 2020 by former Mayor London Breed, was once hailed as a power player within California Democratic politics. During her time at the department, Ellis shifted the agency’s focus, expanding its role from addressing gender-based violence to advocating for increased representation of women in politics.
However, her leadership has been marred by recent controversies that have now led to her dismissal.
The commission, consisting of seven members, deliberated for two hours before voting to remove Ellis, with commission president Sophia Andary citing the decision as necessary for the “benefit and future success” of the department.
Despite the lack of public details on the internal discussions, the move followed a request from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who does not have the authority to directly remove Ellis but urged the commission to take action.
“I have the highest expectations for city employees, and the City Attorney’s investigation found that Director Ellis committed a range of misconduct, unlawful activities, and mismanagement,” Lurie said in a statement to Axios.
The investigation, led by the city attorney’s office, uncovered evidence of wrongdoing, but specific details remain undisclosed. However, Ellis’ attorney, Ronald Arena, has vehemently denied the accusations. He contends that Ellis’ removal was a result of her refusal to participate in misconduct, accusing the city of rushing the termination process during her medical leave and deliberately withholding key records to control the narrative.
“The City’s conduct represents a profound abuse of authority and a betrayal of its own stated values,” Arena said in a statement.
This comes after Ellis had been suspended in March due to concerns regarding her financial management. The department came under scrutiny for awarding a controversial $85,000 contract to a behavioral coaching company led by one of Ellis’ personal friends.
Additionally, the department’s expenditure of over $600,000 on a one-day conference — which included a fashion show and lavish expenses — raised further questions. Ellis also approved a $30,000 overpayment to a political nonprofit that hosted the conference.
Another key point of controversy was Ellis’ failure to disclose nearly $20,000 in payments from the progressive Power PAC through her personal consulting firm, despite her department awarding the PAC’s nonprofit affiliate a $120,000 contract the year prior.
Ellis has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, maintaining that she acted in good faith. She also filed a lawsuit earlier this month accusing the city of retaliation, claiming the allegations against her were fabricated to silence her and that the campaign to remove her stemmed from her efforts to expose “credible and deeply disturbing” sexual misconduct.
The city attorney’s office has dismissed Ellis’ claims, asserting that the allegations were thoroughly investigated and found to be without merit.
As the search for Ellis’ permanent replacement begins, Human Resources official Linda Yeung is currently serving as interim director. Mayor Lurie is expected to appoint a new director soon, with a focus on ensuring the department’s success moving forward.
