DLBA president accused of having a toxic work environment & bullying by former employee

Photo via Downtown Long Beach Alliance

A former employee wrote a letter accusing Kraig Kojian, the president and CEO of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, of having a toxic work environment and mistreatment, per the LB Post.

Details of the allegations:

The letter was sent to Long Beach City Councilmembers Allen and Zendejas by a former DLBA employee alleging that Kojian engaged in “workplace bullying and a toxic work environment, largely inflicted upon women workers.”

• The letter makes no claims of illegal conduct or sexual harassment by Kojian, and both councilmembers sent their letter to the City Attorney's office and the DLBA.

• The accuser also wrote, “I strongly believe Mr. Kojian’s pattern of workplace bullying of female employees constitutes gender discrimination,” and calls for an “investigation and correction.”

Where things stand:

Kojian remains employed by DLBA and the organization has hired a law firm to investigate the accusations.

LBPD: Two men arrested in connection to murder of 33-year-old homeless man

Long Beach Police believe they have captured the two men responsible for the murder of a 33-year-old homeless man, authorities announced on Wednesday.

Details:

29-year-old Long Beach resident Buchantha Suon and 33-year-old Roth Chan of Texas were, both arrested at their respected residences. The Long Beach Police needed the FBI and Houston Police to locate and apprehend Chan.

• Suon was arrested in February at his Long Beach home located on the 800 block of East 8th Street.

• Suon was booked on one count of murder and is currently being held on a $2,000,000 bail in a Los Angeles County jail awaiting trial.

• Chan will be booked on one count of murder and held on a $2,000,000 bail once extradition is complete.

Backstory:

According to the LBPD, on Feb 16, at the 700 block of East 6th Street at about 2:05 a.m. Officers responded to an alley over calls regarding a shooting. When they arrived, they came upon a man with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. He would later die at the scene.

• Police alleged that one of the suspects was in a “brief verbal dispute" with the 33-year-old homeless man who they thought attempted to steal property from Suon. A fight occurred between them that would later escalate into a shooting.

Long Beach's St. Mary's Hospital suspends 78 workers for not obeying the COVID vaccine mandate

The Long Beach-based hospital St. Mary's Medical Center placed 78 employees on unpaid leave for the next 90 days. The unpaid leave is for failing to comply with vaccination requirements, per the Post.

Why it matters: St. Mary's has the lowest percentage of vaccinated workers compared to other Long Beach area hospitals. "At Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center, 91% of the 1,493 employees are now vaccinated or have

received an approved medical or religious exemption," a hospital spokesperson told the Modern Times.

• Forty-one employees received a religious exemption.

• Employees with a denied exemption request will start a three-month administrative leave this week.

• If the 78 employees do not get vaccinated within the next 90 days, they could be fired.

How it happened:

In July, the Long Beach Health Department announced that all healthcare workers must show proof of vaccination by August 9th. Those who do not must be tested for COVID-19 twice a week.

What they're saying:

A hospital spokesperson told the Modern Times, "Dignity Health is committed to maintaining the safest possible care environment for our patients and employees, and ensuring we are appropriately staffed to continue providing essential health care services for our communities."

This story has been updated to include a statement from a Dignity Health St. Mary's Medical Center spokesperson.