In another sign of just how bitter local elections have become in Cupertino, candidate and former Planning commissioner R “Ray” Wang this month threatened legal action against longtime resident Jean Bedord, publisher and editor of the Cupertino Matters policy and city happenings blog, for defamation due to a comment made on social media platform Nextdoor in September.
On October 8, Wang’s attorney, Jacklyn Bentley, sent a Cease and Desist letter to Bedord referencing a September 15 post on Nextdoor by Bedord stating that Wang has “a previous history of sexual harassment.” The letter disputes the statement as false and asserts that Wang “has no ‘history’ of sexual harassment.” It advises Wang is investigating the possibility of legal action, and that failure to immediately comply “could result in a higher damage judgment, demand, or award.”
In a response letter, Bedord’s attorney, Ian Greensides, argued that the assertions are false, and that “Ms. Bedord’s comments on social media (regarding Mr. Wang’s history of sexual harassment) are factually correct.”
The threats are the latest in legal pressure Wang has applied in various circumstances over the past several years. In 2019, Greensides received his own Cease and Desist from Wang for statements made on Nextdoor and in emails to city officials relating to a past sexual harassment lawsuit against Wang. That suit from 2003 by then-Redwood City Planning Commissioner Rosanne Foust alleged Wang’s actions led to her email account receiving pornographic content. While that civil matter was settled out of court, he was ultimately charged with a misdemeanor and two felonies. Wang plead no contest to the misdemeanor charge and the two felonies were dismissed because of a negotiated settlement, according to reports.
Greensides told the Spotlight he had offered to post all of the documents related to the harassment case and demand Wang apologize and retract inaccurate claims Wang has made about him online. “This is yet another documented attempt to bully someone who disagrees with him politically,” he wrote in his 2019 response. “If he’s going to bully me, then I’m going to make sure the City Council knows about this and as many people know about it as possible.”
This history came to light again in 2023 as the Cupertino City Council voted to remove Wang from the Planning Commission for hostility and harassment against the municipality’s staff during the housing element process. The decision came in the wake of a Grand Jury report excoriating city officials for fostering a toxic work environment that led to significant staff turnover of key positions within the last several years. Cupertino resident Jennifer Sharon said during the Council determinations she was also “threatened with a lawsuit from Wang for speaking about his misconduct,” as reported by the San Jose Spotlight in March 2023. “It is well known that Mr. Wang is a very wealthy individual and has previously sued other individuals,” Sharon said at the March 7, 2023 City Council meeting.
In a news release around the latest legal threat, Greensides explained why he is representing Bedord:
“I don’t like bullies.”