Nearly a month after an independent investigator found Bend’s former equity director wasn’t credible when he described racial bias on the job, activists are calling for the removal of the city’s top manager.

Organizer Joslyn Stanfield said she created the online petition calling for Bend City Manager Eric King’s removal. The petition launched on Dec. 30 and had gathered 221 signatures as of Wednesday morning.

King and Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler declined to comment on the petition.

Bend’s former equity director, Andrés Portela III, resigned in October. Portela, who is Afro-Latino, told city officials his departure stemmed from racist incidents he endured both at and outside of work. City officials cast doubts on his credibility, while also paying Portela an $86,000 settlement that barred future litigation. Last month, an independent investigator’s report commissioned by the city largely discredited Portela and cleared Bend managers, including King, of any wrongdoing. Now, Stanfield and other community organizers say Portela’s concerns were unfairly investigated.

“They didn’t address any of the issues that Andrés brought up in good faith. It was completely addressed in a way of dismissing any accusation against Eric King,” Stanfield said.

Fenix Van Tassel, a volunteer member of the city’s Human Rights and Equity Commission, resigned last week to protest how the city handled Portela’s departure. The HREC advises the city council.

Van Tassel took issue with how King responded to Portela’s resignation, and to the hiring of “a white woman to investigate and make a determination on whether or not a person from the global majority has been discriminated against.”

King said in an email, “We regret to hear that Fenix decided to step down and are grateful for their commitment to the Human Rights and Equity Commission’s work.”

Stanfield, who is Black, said the petition is one “chess piece move” in a broader effort to see King removed from his job. She called King “out of touch” and ineffective and said the handling of Portela’s resignation hit her personally.

“When you see another person experiencing that and you know how little power you hold institutionally to change it, it really affects you,” she said.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/07/bend-oregon-city-council-equity-director/