A pastor who was nearly removed from San Diego County’s human relations commission over anti-LGBTQ remarks is suing San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, claiming Gloria violated his First Amendment rights by vetoing his reappointment to a city advisory board because of his comments and religious beliefs.
Dennis Hodges, the founding pastor of the Church of Yeshua Ha Mashiach in Lemon Grove, filed the unlawful discrimination and retaliation suit Wednesday in San Diego federal court.
“Despite his years of public service and dedication to the San Diego community, the Mayor of the City of San Diego, under the influence of several of Mr. Hodges’ fellow commissioners, retaliated and discriminated against Mr. Hodges for adhering to his religious beliefs regarding gender identity and transgenderism,” the lawsuit alleges.
The suit claims that after a vote last year to remove Hodges from the Leon L. Williams San Diego County Human Relations Commission failed, Hodges’ fellow commissioners “influenced the Mayor to exercise his veto authority to prohibit the reappointment of Mr. Hodges” to another board he served on, the city’s Citizens Advisory Board on Police/Community Relations.
The suit alleges that in August of this year, Gloria vetoed Hodges’ reappointment to the advisory board, which he had served on since 2017.
A spokesperson for Gloria said his office does not comment on pending litigation.
The events at the heart of the lawsuit revolve around the county’s human relations commission, which was revived in May 2020 with a mission “to promote positive human relations, respect, and the integrity of every individual regardless of gender, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or citizenship status.”
Hodges joined the commission in 2021. In November of that year, controversy erupted after the commission discussed and voted to sign a letter condemning transphobia and recommitted to work to end discrimination against transgender people. Hodges abstained from voting and, when asked about it, made disparaging comments.
He later recounted saying during the discussion that “transgenderism … is an abomination in the eyes of God,” saying that phrasing came directly from the Bible.
Community members and some fellow commissioners pushed for Hodges’ removal from the commission, and the county of Board of Supervisors changed its bylaws to allow for the removal of commissioners.
In June 2022, the commission held a vote on his potential removal. It required 13 commissioners to approve his removal. Of the 19 commissioners in attendance that night, 10 elected to remove Hodges, six voted against his removal and the other three abstained.
The lawsuit alleges that when Gloria used his veto power a few months ago to block Hodges’ reappointment to the Citizens Advisory Board on Police/Community Relations, the mayor cited Hodges’ prior comments.
“The Mayor’s veto of Mr. Hodges’ reappointment to the Advisory Board was not based on Mr. Hodges’ credentials (or lack thereof),” the suit alleges. “Indeed, Mr. Hodges has a lengthy background in not only public service, but law enforcement. He is wellsuited to serve on the Advisory Board.”
The suit seeks “nominal damages for violation of his civil rights,” other damages to be proven at trial, a judgment that Hodges’ First Amendment rights were violated and reinstatement to the Citizens Advisory Board.
