San Jose mayor, leaders ask for alleged racist text messages between councilmembers to be released

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The San Jose Silicon Valley NAACP and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan are calling for the release of text messages between City Councilmembers that allegedly contained racial slurs.

Councilmembers Peter Ortiz and Domingo Candelas are said to have been part of those messages.

They represent the East Side of the city, a highly-diverse community.

Now, local groups are responding to text messages containing racial slurs, allegedly sent by Ortiz, Candelas and others.

"I think the community is shaken up by this one," San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP President Sean Allens said. "This is a big one. My phone has not stopped ringing."

Allen says his sources within the law enforcement community, confirm the allegations that were first reported by The San Jose Spotlight.

The Spotlight's report claims a text thread was discovered when ex-Councilmember Omar Torres' phone was seized as part of his unrelated criminal investigation.

MORE: Mixed reactions felt on verdict in Antioch PD racist texts: 'We have a radicalized police force'

Messages allegedly included the use of the n-word as well as a derogatory term used to describe Mexicans.

The text thread included the councilmembers, Candelas' chief of staff, the community relations manager for the San Jose Downtown Association, who is also Ortiz' partner, and the Working Partnerships USA Transportation Policy Director.

ABC7 News reached out to every one of the people allegedly involved, but has not received a response back from anyone.

"It's just disheartening that we haven't heard an apology yet," Allen said. "Now, the community is going to question whether or not these people can advocate for us. And that would be our concern, also, as an organization."

In a statement, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan demanded transparency - calling for the text messages to be publicly released.

"These are serious allegations and, to the extent that this language was used in the course of city business or to describe constituents, the people of San Jose have a right to know what their elected representatives are saying," Mahan said. "I'm especially concerned by the claim that some in City Hall subsequently tried to shield these messages from public view by claiming they are essential to an ongoing investigation. If the texts fall under the city's usual standards for public disclosure, they should be made public to maintain trust with our community."

MORE: Former San Jose councilmember Omar Torres pleads no contest to child sex abuse charges

The SJ/SV NAACP is also calling for the messages to be released.

"We need to get complete accountability for what occurred," Allen said. "And we need to make sure those seats are filled with people who will represent the community as a whole without bias."

City Attorney Nora Frimann and San Jose Police said the information ABC7 requested could not legally be shared with us.

Frimann telling us in a statement, "Penal Code 1546 limits access to and disclosure of electronic communications obtained by government entities through judicially issued warrants. It is our understanding that you are asking about information that is the subject of an ongoing police investigation and a judicially issued warrant. Any warrant for electronic communications limits use of information seized to the purpose of the warrant."