Documents show how tensions escalated during Section 14 reparations discussions between attorneys ⋆ The Palm Springs Post

An aerial view of the city of Palm Springs in the 1960s. Homes are shown in Section 14 in the center right. Correspondence released by the city Monday—available for viewing here—shows how the debate over reparations for the city’s role in the destruction of property in Section 14 reached a critical juncture. Attorneys on both sides engaged in increasingly sharp exchanges in letters dating back to July 2023. On July 13, Areva Martin, representing former residents of Section 14 and their descendants, sent a detailed letter to Palm Springs City Attorney Jeffrey Ballinger. Martin expressed her clients’ deep frustration with the city’s inaction on reparations despite earlier commitments to address the grievances. Martin highlighted a critical July 11 meeting where the city seemingly backtracked on using its own Human Rights Commission’s report as a framework for settlement discussions. The report acknowledges the city’s past wrongdoings, but concerns have been raised about its accuracy and possible use of plagiarized information. Correspondence from Martin shows that after the report was dismissed by Ballinger as a basis for negotiations, her clients were significantly dismayed. She argued that ignoring this report contradicts the city’s previous public stances and could severely impact its defense should...