She told the council she was neurodivergent while introducing herself. David Rogers pressed her to explain it, until Councilmember Ruiz told him to have some respect and the mayor stepped in.

On January 13, 2026 four residents came before the Council to be appointed to the body that was becoming the Equity Advisory Board. April Sassani introduced herself and, among other things about her life, said she was neurodivergent. During the questions that followed, David Rogers asked her to tell the council about her experience as a neurodivergent individual, saying he was trying to ask about her. Councilmember Ceasar Ruiz cut in — “David, do you even know what that means?” — and, told that he did, replied that he should have a little respect for somebody who admits that in public. Mayor Doug Weiss thanked Sassani himself, and asked the council for relevant questions about goals for the board. Councilmember Melody Ryan then asked about the board's opportunities and challenges over the next two years, and that question was called “a much more appropriate question.” Minutes later David Rogers cast the only vote against appointing her and the three others. It passed 6-1.

Meeting
2026-01-13
Agenda item
6D (2025-0954)
Body
Equity Commission, transitioning to Equity Advisory Board
Appointee questioned
April Sassani
Interrupted by
Councilmember Ceasar Ruiz
Appointed
Sassani, Clarissa Fusilier, Alfred Gomez, Claudia Torres-Yanez
Rogers' vote
No — only member against
Outcome
Passed 6-1
Presiding
Mayor Doug Weiss

She volunteered it about herself

Sassani introduced herself to the council as a neighbour, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother to a 16-month-old, a survivor of childhood poverty and of domestic violence, neurodivergent, and sixteen years in public service. The word was hers. No one on the dais had raised it, and she was there to volunteer for an unpaid advisory board.

The exchange

The clip below runs 68 seconds and is taken from the city's own recording of the meeting. Several members speak across it and the recording carries no captions identifying them, so this entry names a speaker only where the voice has been identified. One line in the clip — a councilmember observing that Sassani had volunteered the fact herself, and that she had looked it up — is not Rogers, and is not attributed here.

What the others did

Ruiz told him to have some respect for somebody who admits that in public. Mayor Weiss then thanked Sassani for being there and for sharing aspects of her experience, and asked whether there were any relevant questions from council about experiences, plans and goals for the board — a redirection delivered to the council, in front of the applicant. Ryan then asked about the opportunities and challenges facing the board over the next two years, and that question was called a much more appropriate one. Sassani answered it, and talked about the difficulty of reaching residents who lack the time and energy to engage with the city.

Then the vote

Metayer moved to appoint all four applicants, with Torres-Yanez to a term ending December 31, 2026. Holiday seconded. Rogers was the only member to vote against. The minutes record no reason from him. Earlier the same evening he had seconded the appointment of Flozelle Roberts as Assistant City Manager, which passed unanimously.

What cuts the other way

A councilmember is entitled to ask an applicant about anything the applicant raises, and Sassani did raise it. Asking someone to explain a term they used is not on its face an attack, and saying he had looked it up can be read as an effort to understand rather than to belittle. Ruiz's rebuke is one member's characterisation of another, said in the moment, not a finding. The motion appointed four people at once, so his vote cannot be attributed to her in particular, and he gave no reason for it. David Rogers seconded a different appointment the same evening.

Sources