Two San Francisco agencies that were marred by allegations of misconduct will be consolidated under Mayor Daniel Lurie’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.
The Human Rights Commission and the Department on the Status of Women, both of which faced allegations of misspending and favoritism by leadership, will be merged into the Agency on Human Rights, according to a document released by the mayor’s office Friday afternoon.
Both departments will retain their commissions but can collaborate on issuing community grants, the document said.
“The budget I’m introducing today faces the $800 million deficit head-on,” Lurie said of his budget proposal Friday. “A crisis of this magnitude means we cannot avoid painful decisions, and I am prepared to make those decisions.”
Lurie’s full budget proposal shows a 38% cut to the Human Rights Commission’s budget to $28 million in the coming fiscal year. The Department on the Status of Women’s budget is reduced to zero.
Mawuli Tugbenyoh, acting executive director of the Human Rights Commission, said there are no immediate changes to staff roles or day-to-day operations planned.
“Over the coming weeks and months, HRC will work with staff across both departments to ensure we move forward together in a way that reflects our collective values, honors the expertise of our teams, and centers our shared mission,” Tugbenyoh said.
Kimberly Ellis, former director of the Department on the Status of Women, was ousted in April following allegations that she misspent city funds on events and contracts provided to close associates. In one instance, the agency spent more than $600,000 on a one-day conference that included hotels and other lavish expenses and overpaid an organization that received a no-bid contract to organize the event.
Ellis also initially failed to disclose nearly $20,000 in payments she received from Power PAC, a progressive political action committee. Its nonprofit affiliate received $120,000 in contracts from Ellis’ department in 2022.
Ellis sued the city in April, claiming she was retaliated against for reporting sexual misconduct at a foster care program. City officials have denied the allegations.
Sheryl Davis, former head of the Human Rights Commission, resigned in September 2024 after The Standard raised questions about spending on the Dream Keeper Initiative, a program created under former Mayor London Breed to support the city’s historically marginalized Black communities.
The Standard reported that Davis has signed off on $1.5 million in contracts to a nonprofit executive, James Spingola, with whom she shared a home. She had not disclosed the relationship to the city.
City investigators later revealed that Davis had received tens of thousands of dollars from a city-funded organization that supported her travel, personal ventures, and her son’s tuition to UCLA.
“This has been a year of enormous change and transition for Human Rights Commission staff, and we will navigate the way ahead with an eye on strengthening our ability to serve communities most in need,” Tugbenyoh added.