Background & Justification

On July 15, 2025, during an Ontario City Council meeting, Councilmember Alan Wapner made remarks directed at public commenter Avraham Coutin, stating:

“…this guy coming in here, dressed up as a Palestinian terrorist pretending to be Jewish…”
“Before you start saying anything, you better know what you’re talking about.”

These remarks target protected characteristics such as religion and ethnicity, raising questions of whether they were based on credible evidence or rooted in prejudice. California law recognizes that derogatory statements of this nature can contribute to a hostile environment and constitute discriminatory conduct.

The public has a right to know whether Councilmember Wapner relied on legitimate information sources or whether these accusations were baseless and discriminatory. By requesting the underlying records, this PRR seeks to provide transparency into the integrity of City decision-making and whether City resources were used to support or justify these remarks.

Requested Materials

• Emails and attachments (including drafts) regarding Mr. Coutin.
• Text and instant messages (SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Teams/Slack, social-media DMs).
• Notes, talking points, prepared remarks, memos, research materials, printouts, and handwritten notes.
• Calendar entries, call logs, and meeting invites referencing Mr. Coutin or this topic.
• Photos, videos, audio, or screenshots provided to or retained by Councilmember Wapner.
• Communications with City staff, Ontario Police Department, Ontario International Airport Authority, consultants, or third parties.
• Draft and final versions of Councilmember Wapner’s remarks and any supporting materials reviewed beforehand.
• System/database extracts used to compile information, including the exact query logic/code to validate accuracy.

Date Range: March 1, 2025 through the date the search is completed.

Tags

#PRR #R006174_081425 #Councilman_Wapner #Justification_of_Racist_Remarks #Wapner_Racism #OntarioCA