By Robert Haugh

Former Santa Clara City Manager Deanna Santana is suing the city, alleging she was harassed, bullied, and fired because she scrutinized the San Francisco 49ers’ management of Levi’s Stadium.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the lawsuit was filed last Thursday.  The story says the “49er Five” orchestrated Santana’s ouster to protect the team’s financial interests. 

Santana claims she was even placed under surveillance during a family trip, causing fear and health issues for her and her family.  Wow.

According to the Chronicle, the tipping point came in 2022.

“Soon thereafter, Santana told the council 49ers President Al Guido had potentially illegal conflicts of interest in connection with the team’s effort to bring World Cup soccer matches to publicly owned Levi’s Stadium. Two days later, she was fired”.

Mayor Lisa Gillmor publicly said the 49ers wanted Santana gone after she raised concerns about Guido. The team has denied wrongdoing.

The lawsuit accuses then-Councilmember Anthony Becker, now convicted felon, of leading the charge. 

The “49er Five” majority also complained Santana was overpaid, attacked her in personal terms, and ultimately forced her out. 

(Coincidentally, the City Council is considering giving current City Manager Jovan Grogan another raise this week.  He got a pay raise in January, 2024, to $418,000 a year after being on the job for only a few months).

“At one point, council member Kevin Park referred to her as a ‘dog,’ the suit says”. 

The lawsuit echoes findings of the 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury’s report, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, that concluded the 49er Five put “the 49ers’ interests ahead of the city’s interests.” The report also praised Santana and Gillmor for raising financial, safety, and ethical concerns.

Santana says the city failed to honor her termination agreement, withholding severance and interfering with her CalPERS pension. At the time, she was earning nearly $469,000 per year.

Santana came to Santa Clara in 2017, when critics of the team still held a majority. She pushed to replace the 49ers as stadium managers, citing concerns the city was losing millions on concerts and other events.

The team responded by spending heavily in the 2020 election. “In 2020 then-CEO Jed York (now owner) spent $2.9 million to help elect a team-friendly council majority” now known as the 49er Five.

The 49er Five fired City Attorney Brian Doyle, dropped efforts to remove the 49ers from stadium management, and began targeting Santana.

Santana is now Milpitas’ acting city manager. Her lawsuit does not specify damages but details a campaign of intimidation that she says cost her career, her peace of mind, and her health.

The case revives questions first raised by the grand jury: did Santa Clara officials protect the public—or did they protect the 49ers?