EXCLUSIVE: Councilmember Ara Najarian Suing City of Glendale, Alleging Violation of Constitutional Rights

In an exclusive interview with The Armenian Report, Glendale City Councilmember Ara Najarian revealed his plans to sue the city of Glendale, asserting that his constitutional rights were violated and that he was denied due process during a recent mayoral selection process.

Najarian, a prominent figure in Glendale politics with a long history of public service, outlined his concerns about the events leading up to the selection of the city's mayor. He began by recounting the evolution of the selection process, highlighting previous inconsistencies and disputes within the council regarding the criteria for mayoral succession.

"So, previously, five years ago and way back down, we had an unwritten policy saying that the person who had gone the longest without being mayor could be mayor. But that policy was broken many times where someone would be skipped over at the last moment and not be given the mayorship, even though it was their turn. I mean, it wasn't a law—kind of like a loose understanding, let's put it that way," Najarian explained.

He went on to describe a reform effort initiated by Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian three years ago, which aimed to establish a more transparent and consistent selection process. This effort culminated in the unanimous approval of the "selection of mayor law" by the council in 2021, intended to provide clarity and fairness in determining the next mayor.

However, Najarian alleged that a loophole in the law was exploited during last night’s mayoral selection process, allowing certain council members to deviate from the established criteria. This deviation, he claims, resulted in his exclusion from consideration for the mayoral position, despite being next in line according to the law.

Reflecting on the proceedings, Najarian expressed frustration over what he perceived as a denial of his constitutional rights. "Whenever you have a hearing to take a right away from someone, like they were doing last night, that person is entitled to due process," he asserted. "The same due process when we talk about you can't take someone's life, liberty, or property without due process."

Najarian also criticized what he viewed as improper legal advice given by the city attorney during the proceedings. "The city attorney made a series of completely wrong legal advice to council," he remarked. "And the city attorney said no, I'm not entitled. The lawyer, I'm not entitled to witnesses, I'm not entitled to a fair trial, I'm not entitled to judges who are not biased, I'm not entitled to cross-examination, and I'm not entitled to as much time as I want."

Expressing his disappointment with the outcome of the selection process, Najarian announced his intention to file a lawsuit against the city of Glendale. "We, meaning me and my attorney, are going to be suing the city based on their improper actions last night and will be seeking to overturn Elen's selection as mayor and ask for a fair hearing on the subject," he declared.

Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian weighed in on the controversy surrounding the mayoral selection process. Kassakhian echoed Najarian's concerns about fairness and transparency, emphasizing the need for elected officials to uphold democratic principles and ensure equal opportunities for all council members.

"If Ara had been mayor, it would have prevented Elen from ever being mayor during her first term, and possibly only term. I'll be honest with you, I don't know if Elen gets re-elected. Let her have a moment. Whether we all agree with Elen or not, whether there are people who have issues with her or not, that's irrelevant," Kassakhian told The Armenian Report. "And I will tell you this much, if the roles were reversed, if Elen had been mayor four times and was seeking a fifth term, and Ara was the new council member and never got to be mayor and was going to be passed over, I would have fought just as hard for Ara, because for me it's about fairness."

“More people preferred Elen over Ara, and now Ara will leapfrog over her because of a technicality in the law that no one who wrote that law foresaw happening. It would have been my preference for Ara to forego his current mayorship and give it to a colleague who didn't have that opportunity, especially when people come to City Hall and they see that in the last hundred and twenty years of Glendale's existence, there's only been less than a handful of woman mayors. That's not the kind of city I want to live in. I want to live in a city where we have good people running for office, representing all segments of the community, whether we agree with them or not. And I think Ara has done a great job serving this community; I have nothing against Ara. However, I don't want someone who's run and been democratically elected, received resounding support during elections, to be left out of the mayorship selection process," Kassakhian elaborated to The Armenian Report.

Najarian's decision to pursue legal action comes as a surprise to many in the Glendale community, where he is widely respected for his decades of public service and advocacy. A seasoned politician with a background in law and community activism, Najarian has been a prominent figure in Glendale politics for many years.

Born and raised in Ohio, Najarian moved to Glendale in 1980. He has deep roots in the community and a long-standing commitment to serving its residents. He has served on various boards and commissions, including the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education and the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees.

In addition to his political career, Najarian has been actively involved in advocacy work, particularly within the Armenian community. He has been a vocal advocate for Armenian Genocide recognition and has worked tirelessly to promote awareness and education about Armenian history and culture.

As Najarian prepares to take legal action against the city, the outcome of his lawsuit remains uncertain. However, his decision to challenge the recent mayoral selection process shows the ongoing tensions and divisions within the Glendale community.