Kenton Gartrell

It all began with a controversial vote at Sunnyside City Hall. On August 25, Councilors Theresa Hancock, Jorge Galvan, Vicki Ripley, and Keren Vazquez bypassed four highly qualified local candidates and instead appointed Yakima political agitator Kenton Gartrell to the city’s Climate Resiliency Board. The decision stunned residents and drew immediate criticism, as Gartrell has no roots in Sunnyside and is widely known for his political theatrics rather than problem-solving.

READ THE ORIGINAL REPORT IN LA VOZ

GARTRELL WANTS LA VOZ AND COUNCILOR FRAUSTO TO APPEAR IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT

Now, just four days later, the fallout has escalated into the courts. Gartrell has scheduled a small claims hearing for October 13, summoning La Voz and Councilor Vicky Frausto to answer his allegations of “slander.” Legal experts, however, see the filing as more spectacle than substance.

La Voz Owner and Editor David Cortinas wasted no time responding to the claims:

David Cortinas, Owner/Editor of La Voz Hispanic News

“I stand behind all my writing. Kenton is upset that facts don’t match his rhetoric. He wants to cry victim and say he’s a volunteer when he’s clearly a proxy for powerful interest groups in Yakima County. He needs to learn the definition of what a public figure is. If he’s that ignorant he certainly shouldn’t be serving the residents of Sunnyside or Yakima County. I’ve been around for decades and I’ve seen every trick in the book. If he thinks I’ll cower from his claims, he is sorely mistaken.”

Public Figure Doctrine: The Sullivan Standard

Gartrell’s attempt to sue hinges on his status—and what that entails. As someone who has campaigned for office, served as a Republican Precinct Committee Officer, and consistently thrust himself into public controversies, he clearly qualifies as a public figure. That categorization significantly elevates the legal threshold for defamation.

The landmark U.S. Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan established that when the target of alleged defamation is a public official—or, by extension, a public figure—they must prove the statements in question were made with “actual malice”: that is, with knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. Under that standard, Gartrell would bear the burden of showing that the author knowingly published falsehoods or willfully ignored clear facts.

A Pattern of Controversy

This isn’t the first time Gartrell has found himself at the center of negative headlines. Over the past few years, he has built a reputation for conflict rather than collaboration:

• Yakima City Council campaign scandal: Filmed slapping a phone out of a woman’s hand during a confrontation — an incident reported by KIMA-TV.
• School board campaign dust-up: Formally warned by the Yakima School District to change his behavior at public meetings or face a no-trespass order.
  Suspended from youth soccer officiating: According to Washington Youth Soccer, sidelined after allegations that he made inappropriate remarks to a  female referee.
   
  These incidents, far from silencing his critics, have only fueled perceptions of Gartrell as someone who thrives on stirring conflict. For many in Sunnyside and Yakima County, his current small claims filing is simply the latest act in a long pattern of provocation.
  
  City Hall Turmoil Continues!

Finance Director Kelly Koske was fired without cause on Tuesday

The controversy around Gartrell comes as Sunnyside City Hall faces its own internal upheaval. On Tuesday  Finance Director Kelly Koskie was fired without cause by Interim City Manager Jim Bridges. La Voz spoke to Koskie, who told La Voz she was offered three months of severance pay if she agreed to resign. By refusing, her contract instead entitles her to two months of pay due to the no-cause termination. Koskie tells La Voz she was blindsided by the decision and felt like she was being targeted since the day she walked into the door because she was hired by City Manager Mike Gonzalez, who is currently on paid administrative leave for “non-disciplinary actions”. She has hired a lawyer and is looking into legal action.

Councilwomen Frausto and Hart call for a stop to the madness

Vicky Frausto and Julia Hart

Meanwhile, Councilwomen Vicky Frausto and Julia Hart have both publicly called for an end to the costly investigation into City Manager Mike Gonzalez, which has dragged on for months. (Read Article on La Voz)

Mayor Dean Broersma also told Apple Valley News the investigation into Mike Gonzalez revealed nothing substantial. Several individuals who were present, and want to remain anonymous, tell La Voz that Mayor Broersma could be overheard telling reporter Monique Garcia off the record, that nothing in the report could substantiate firing Mike Gonzalez, and he should be reinstated to his City Manager position.

Their statements add to the mounting pressure inside City Hall, where leadership shake-ups and political infighting have become the norm rather than the exception.

BECAUSE OF HANCOCK, RIPLEY, GALVAN AND VAZQUEZ, THE KENTON GARTRELL DRAMA HAS ALREADY STARTED

And as City Hall reels from firings, investigations, and political infighting, one thing is clear: the decision by Hancock, Galvan, Ripley, and Vazquez to empower Gartrell has already unleashed the very drama Sunnyside residents feared from the start.