San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg stripped District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo from all committee assignments and external appointments on Friday until an investigation into his verbal attack on District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval is completed.
Bravo lashed out at Sandoval last week after she did not back his proposal over the distribution of the CPS Energy surplus revenue.
The pair previously dated.
In an area only open to council members and city staff, Bravo said on September 15th that her actions illustrated why their relationship ended and why he did not want to have children with her. Sandoval cried in response, as initially reported by the San Antonio Express-News. Bravo later apologized to all parties.
The mayor's office also released the following statement from Nirenberg on Friday afternoon:
“Maintaining decorum is essential for City Council to do its work. Everyone deserves to be treated respectfully and professionally but elected officials should hold themselves to the highest standard. It is every organization’s responsibility to provide a secure professional work environment. The City of San Antonio and my office take this responsibility seriously.”
It was not immediately clear when that investigation would be completed or if Bravo would face further official sanctions from the city.
Sandoval has represented District 7 since May 2017, according to her city council biography. She chairs the city's committee on Community Heath, Environment, and Culture and serves on several other committees.
She was born Monterrey, Mexico, and moved to the U.S. with her family when she was one year old. She is a graduate of Jefferson High School and holds degrees in engineering and public health from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Harvard University. She is also a Fulbright Scholar who studied business in Mexico City.
Before joining the council, the scholar and environmental health expert worked with VIA Metropolitan Transit, the San Francisco Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Harvard School of Public Health and the UT School of Public Health San Antonio.
Her biography notes that she is "the first naturalized Latinx citizen to serve on the Council."
Bravo has represented District 1 since June 2021, according to his city council biography.
His campaign website explained that he is of European and Mexican descent. He is a graduate of the master's program at the LBJ School of Public Policy at the University of Texas at Austin.
Before joining the council, he was the Texas outreach specialist for the Environmental Defense Fund.
This story was updated to reflect that Bravo made the comments to Sandoval in an area reserved for only council members and city staff.
