Long Beach Refuse Worker Placed on Leave After Christopher Dorner Remarks at City Council
Updated: 5 days ago
Long Beach refuse worker Anthony Holmes was placed on paid administrative leave after invoking Christopher Dorner during a City Council meeting — remarks Mayor Rex Richardson criticized as referencing violence.
Holmes said city officials verbally told him his comments were perceived as a threat. He disputes that characterization, saying he was discussing his concerns about workplace retaliation and workers’ mental health, not endorsing violence.
The city confirmed Holmes was placed on leave Sept. 2, 2026, pending an investigation but declined to disclose the specific reason, citing personnel confidentiality.
Holmes has used public comment at City Council meetings for the past four years to raise allegations of racism, discrimination and retaliation against Black workers in the city’s refuse operation.
Holmes said city officials verbally told him his remarks were perceived as a threat. He disputes that characterization, saying he was raising concerns about workplace retaliation and workers’ mental health, not endorsing violence.
The city confirmed that Holmes was placed on paid administrative leave Sept. 2, 2026, pending an investigation, but declined to disclose the specific reason.
Holmes has used public comment at City Council meetings for the past four years to raise allegations of racism, discrimination and retaliation against Black workers in the refuse department. During the council meeting, Holmes invoked Dorner while discussing his concerns about the treatment of employees who report misconduct.
Dorner alleged that he was fired in retaliation for reporting excessive force by a training officer. The LAPD said he was dismissed in 2008 for making false statements about the incident, and a later department review upheld his firing. In February 2013, Dorner killed four people during a series of shootings that ended with his death during a confrontation with law enforcement.
During his public comment, Holmes said he did not condone violence.
“Now, I don’t, I don’t believe, and I don’t condone any violence,” Holmes said. “But by any means necessary, as a Black man, all we have is our name.”
Holmes said Dorner had been portrayed as “this crazy Black man, angry Black man,” adding, “but all he was—was a Black man that filed a complaint.”
Addressing City Manager Tom Modica directly, Holmes also referred to Black men “like Christopher Dorner just waiting.”
Richardson responded by emphasizing the deaths associated with Dorner’s actions.
“Just want to acknowledge Christopher Dorner killed people,” Richardson said. “We don’t condone threats, references of violence, all of those things here at the council meeting, so we’re clear.”
Holmes rejected the characterization of his comments as threatening. Instead, he said his remarks were meant to call attention to the consequences of failing to address workers’ complaints.
“I wasn’t highlighting violence; I was highlighting his mental health — what it took for him to get there, of him making complaints and crying out that somebody would go and save him and help him, and actually follow up on the complaints that he was making,” Holmes said.
Holmes said the city should address what he described as the mental health effects of a hostile work environment.
“I think people downtown, City Hall, should actually send people down there to the Refuse Department, all these departments, ’cause it’s a lot of mental issues that goes on with a lot of workers,” he said.
“You don’t know what a person is dealing with outside of work, then they gotta come to work and deal with supervisors that don’t like ’em, management that don’t like ’em, and keep going against ’em ... that’s a mental issue.”
Asked about the reaction to his remarks, Holmes called Dorner a “strong example.”
“I know it was a strong example, and I want Long Beach to start taking care of these examples right now before something tragic happens,” he said. “Let’s get in front of it now.”
Holmes said he was placed on paid administrative leave the day after the council meeting. A letter he posted online did not specify a reason for the leave, although Holmes said officials verbally linked it to his council remarks.
A public information officer for the city’s Energy & Environmental Services Department’s Materials Management Bureau confirmed the leave in a written response.
“The City can confirm that Mr. Holmes was placed on paid Administrative Leave on September 2, 2026, and will not be permitted back to the workplace, pending an investigation and/or until further notice,” the statement said.
“As a matter of policy, specific personnel or employment actions are considered confidential personnel matters, and the City cannot provide more detail on this specific matter.”
At the time of his interview, Holmes said the leave would not stop him from returning to speak at the next City Council meeting.
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