The former spokesperson for Alameda County, California District Attorney Pamela Price is alleging discrimination.

Patti Lee is suing, saying she was fired for being Asian American and for accusing her office of deleting or altering public records. 

The lawsuit also highlights a “clear anti-Asian sentiment” within the office, with Price reportedly telling Lee that her enemies were “the media and the Asians.”

In a statement released by her lawyers, Lee who worked years as a television reporter said “I have to speak out. I have been a serious and dedicated journalist for more than two decades. I believe in transparency and the public’s right to know. This case is about more than just one individual; it’s about maintaining the integrity and transparency of our public institutions.”

Price took office in January 2023, and her relationship with the Asian community has been particularly strained due to her decision to drop sentencing enhancements in the case of the murder of 1-year-old Jasper Wu. 

The case involved two gang members initially charged with Wu’s murder and other felonies. Price’s predecessor had applied criminal enhancements that could have resulted in life imprisonment without parole for the defendants. However, Price’s intervention allowed for the possibility of their release in less than three decades if convicted.

In an attempt to mend ties with the Asian community, Price planned a press conference at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center to announce her Chinese name during AAPI Heritage Month. However, after facing online ridicule and criticism for what was perceived as cultural appropriation, the press conference was canceled. Price responded with a defensive video on social media, asserting her good relationship with the Asian community and claiming that the perpetrators of Wu’s murder could face hundreds of years in jail if convicted. 

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