In this post, we want to cover yet another instance of disinformation carried out by Jean Bedord’s Cupertino Matters, this time to cover-up Rod Sinks’ misogyny.
In 2022, Andi Jordan, Executive Director of the Cities Association of Santa Clara County, threatened to sue the Association because of discrimination & harassment. One of the core pillars of her complaint was illegal discrimination based on gender and marital status, both protected categories, in the 2019 refusal of health insurance benefits by the executive committee.
A married woman "did not need benefits because her husband had them" - Rod Sinks
Andi further claimed, that even after her husband lost his job in December 2020, the Association refused to offer her health insurance!
However, the coverage of this issue, by Jean Bedord’s local publication Cupertino Matters, raises serious questions about journalistic integrity and the deliberate misrepresentation of facts.
Rod Sinks becomes Invisible
Cupertino Matters covered the topic in two articles: the April 5, 2022 issue and the July 26, 2022 issue. Neither of the two articles made any reference to Rod Sinks or his illegal sexist and misogynist behavior. Instead, their reporting places an undue emphasis on the involvement of Councilmember Liang Chao, who joined the Association much later, after Rod Sinks termed out in Q4 2020.
Further the articles blame Liang Chao for the city’s share of $8030 in the settlement involving 15 cities. This skewed focus not only misrepresents the core issues at stake but also misleads readers about the true nature and timeline of the controversy.
Liang Chao’s Actual Involvement
The facts paint a very different picture of Liang Chao’s role. Chao joined the Cities Association after Rod Sinks had termed out, well after the discriminatory events of 2019. Her participation was limited to attending quarterly board meetings; she had no role in determining Andi Jordan’s compensation, and was not part of the executive committee.
During one of the board meetings in August 2021, Liang Chao asked for some details about the case, which could have been misconstrued as an illegal request since harassment cases are protected.
Regarding the August 2021 board meeting incident, Chao provided the following statement:
“That was at an open board meeting, when I had no idea Andi Jordan was even under investigation. It was all confidential, including who filed the harassment complaint. I thought it was a consultant’s attorney that filed a complaint.
So, as I remember, I asked about something and they said it cannot be discussed but I had no idea why.
I would have to have the prior knowledge that Andi had filed a harassment complaint in order to know it was unlawful to discuss. But since I had no knowledge about the complaint, I had no idea that it could be unlawful”
Media Responsibility and Bias
The stark contrast between Cupertino Matters’ extensive focus on Chao’s minor, unintentional action in 2021 and its complete silence on Sinks’ central role in the 2019 discrimination case is deeply troubling. This imbalance, maintained across two separate articles, raises serious questions about the publication’s motives and journalistic integrity.
Exposing the Misdirection
Cupertino Matters’ coverage completely ignores Rod Sinks’ sexism and misogyny while unfairly implicating Liang Chao. This misdirection is especially egregious considering that Chao had no involvement in Andi Jordan’s compensation decisions and was not even part of the Association when the discriminatory events took place.
The publication’s failure to address the core issue of gender-based discrimination in health-benefits that occurred in 2019 is a serious dereliction of journalistic duty. Instead, it has chosen to focus on a peripheral issue from 2021, misleading the public about the true nature, timeline, and seriousness of the situation. And of course Rod Sinks name is not brought up even once even though the denial of health insurance because Andi was married was a clear violation of the law, and the foundation for Andi’s complaint.
Cupertino Seniors’: Victims of Disinformation
Many of the recipients of Jean’s newsletter are retired long-time Cupertino residents, who are committed to doing the right thing for our community. Their understanding of local issues is shaped by Jean’s regular updates. However, in an effort to serve the interests of builders, Jean deliberately misleads them.
In this case, she placed the blame for the $8,030 fine the city incurred on Liang Chao, despite the fact that the root cause of the entire situation was Rod Sinks’ refusal to provide medical insurance to a married woman. It’s particularly disheartening that Jean, as a woman, understands the struggle for fair treatment in the workplace but still chooses to cover for Rod Sinks while scapegoating another woman, Liang Chao.
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