By Robert Haugh
San Jose Police Lieutenant Mario Brasil is running for Santa Clara Police Chief this November.
Information is circulating about a controversy from his past activities in San Jose.
In 2016, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the SJPD, accusing the department of unfairly targeting gay men in sting operations – an operation that Brasil led for about two years.
The lawsuit highlights a series of incidents where undercover officers allegedly solicited men for sex, leading to multiple arrests based on questionable conduct.
In a legal ruling, Judge Jose S. Franco criticized the SJPD for engaging in unconstitutional selective enforcement against individuals perceived to be gay.
The lawsuit raised questions about Brasil’s role and responsibility in these controversial operations.
“At no time did I or any member of our unit ever target members of the LGBTQ+ community or any other group of individuals for that matter,” Brasil emailed Santa Clara News Online recently.
Brasil’s statement contradicts Franco’s ruling.
Brasil’s statement today is also different from a 2017 San Jose Inside report. In a lengthy story about the controversy, the attorney and plaintiffs disagree with the way that Brasil describes the sting operations he led back then.
A 2018 Stanford Journalism Project documentary story also contradicts Brasil’s statement that gay men were not targeted.
Critics argue that Brasil’s leadership of the sting operation raises legitimate concerns about his leadership. And Brasil’s recent statements demonstrate that he is either ignoring the issue or is being dishonest about it.
The SJPD denied any bias in the sting operations that Brasil led.
SJPD would not answer recent questions from SCNO about an internal investigation of the operations or if Brasil was placed on administrative assignment.
Personnel records are considered confidential under Penal Code 832.7, according to an SJPD public information officer.
