Lee Thomas Admits Filming Mother Of San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo To Harass Her

In a newish Facebook post he thinks clears his name, former San Leandro Councilmember Lee Thomas admits filming (at close range) the mother of San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. Councilmember Azevedo’s Mom is 70 years old, which classifies her as elderly.

That means Lee Thomas just admitted violating California’s Elder Abuse Law, if not the law surrounding intentional actions to cause emotional distress. Here’s what Mr. Thomas wrote in that Facebook Group:

Below is a copy of my letter to the SL
Times. Happy FRIDAY Folks.
Dear Editor,
I call upon the city to release the video of the physical altercation between
Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and myself earlier this month at the San Leandro Public Library. I have reviewed the video. Councilmember Azevedo has repeatedly misrepresented what occurred. He initiated and caused the physical confrontation.
Here is what occurred: In the library hallway, Councilmember Azevedo’s mother approached journalist Steven Tavares in an agitated state and berated him, using abusive language.
I was standing nearby. I decided to record what was happening on my cell phone as the actions of
Councilmember Azevedo’s mother were extreme and violated the library’s Code of Conduct. She noticed I was recording her and began to berate me.
At this point, Councilmember Azevedo rushed toward me. He has stated, “I stepped in to protect my mom.” I had said nothing to his mother nor acted in any manner that was threatening to
Her.
It was Council member Azevedo who snapped. His face was a ball of anger and he verbally threatened me. I stood my ground and told Councilmember Azevedo to backoff. Councilmember Azevedo came right to my face and attempted to push me back by shoving his chest into me.
Fortunately, that was the extent of the physical altercation. Others quickly intervened to separate us. A third person associated with Councilmember Azevedo, however, forcibly grabbed my arms from behind, causing me to suffer painful shoulder and elbow strain.
Contrary to the accusations of Councilmember Azevedo, at no point did I state his wife was not a legal resident. I would never make such a comment. My spouse was born outside the U.S.
Since Councilmember Azevedo took office four years ago, our City Council has experienced an unprecedented level of infighting. If Councilmember Azevedo wins re-election, we will have another two years of paralysis and dysfunction on the City Council as he prepares to run for Mayor in 2026.
Lee Thomas, MPA
Former San Leandro, City Council Member

That was passed to Zennie62Media just after Thomas wrote it. The “who” is less important than the fact that Councilmember Azevedo has a lot of supporters, including in that social media group.

Lee Thomas Setup Based On Harassing Councilmember Azevedo’s Mother

But more important is that a former San Leandro public servant, Lee Thomas, chose to rush an elderly woman with his cell phone camera to video her just because she was the mother of Councilmember Azevedo, and was unhappy that Steven Tavarez was reportedly harassing her son. In other words, Mr. Thomas was trying to set up Councilmember Azevedo by using his own mother as a pawn in a scheme to harass him. Regardless of what side you’re on, what Mr. Thomas did was all kinds of wrong.

Now many tell me that Lee Thomas and Steven Tavarez are good friends who “work together” (their words, not mine) on these attempts at making fake news about Councilmember Azevedo. One San Leandro woman even said that “Tavarez is like Lee Thomas’ puppy dog and goes where he goes”.

So here’s another account of what happened at the Library Forum, one where Lee Thomas himself has admitted to harassing an elderly woman, Councilmember Azevedo’s mother, via his admittedly hurried use of his cell phone to record her doing something he claims was rash. Ok, so if that is the case, why didn’t Mr. Thomas release the video he made?

My hypothesis is that it’s because Mr. Thomas knows it does not put him or Steven in a good light, and it would have the angry words of Councilmember Azevedo’s mother accusing him of harassing her. Shockingly Mr. Thomas sees nothing wrong with violating California Elderly Abuse Law in trying to cause emotional distress to Councilmember Azevedo’s mother, but his actions were against the law: http://laaconline.org/wp-content/uploads/Points-and-Authorities-EARO-1.pdf

Where’s your video Mr. Thomas? Does it show where you intended to cause emotional distress to the Councilmember’s own MOTHER? That action, too, is illegal. Regardless of age. Look:

So, it sure looks like Lee Thomas wound up implicating himself while trying to unfold yet another crazy scheme to harass Councilmember Azevedo, all because he’s running for reelection.

Wow.