Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn on Friday rescinded and replaced a questionnaire sent out to the city's 300 city commissioners asking whether they are gay, lesbian or disabled, after privacy and discrimination concerns were raised.
Some city officials saw the original questionnaire as improperly mandating that personal information be provided. Hahn's office sent out a new form that clearly says giving the information is voluntary and the information will not be made public.
"This information will be kept confidential and only for statistical purposes," Hahn wrote in a clarifying letter sent to city commissioners Friday.
He rescinded the letter after receiving advice from the city attorney's office, officials said.
"Our office was not asked to review the initial directive before it was issued," said Matthew W. Szabo, press secretary to City. Atty. Rocky Delgadillo. "When concerns were raised after the fact, we provided the mayor with appropriate advice."
Szabo said he could not discuss the specific concerns, citing attorney-client privilege.
But one high-level official familiar with the discussions said there was worry that commissioners might consider their privacy rights violated if they were required to provide information on their sexual orientation and other personal matters.
In addition, city officials were concerned that a commissioner who was not reappointed after disclosing ethnicity, sexual orientation or disabilities could sue the city for discrimination.
City Council members have criticized Hahn in recent months for what they say have been too many appointments of attorneys and businessmen from the Westside and affluent areas of the San Fernando Valley. Some council members have said the mayor needs to make more minority appointments from the Eastside and South Los Angeles.
While maintaining that city commissions are diverse, mayoral officials say data on the ethnicity and sexual orientation of commissioners help in meeting that goal.
"The mayor's goal in collecting this information is to make sure commissions reflect the diversity of the city," said Deputy Mayor Julie Wong.
Last month, Hahn lost the power to nominate people to 25 city commission posts after he failed to meet the filing deadline. To get a better handle on when seats become open, he sent a memo Oct. 2 to the presidents and secretaries of all commissions, asking them for immediate notification of vacancies.
