When Jon Jacobo, a community leader rooted in the Mission, was first accused of rape in 2021, his rising political star remained seemingly unscathed. Yet, it deeply divided the Mission’s Latinx political circles and nonprofit scene, who couldn’t agree on how to respond. Despite the detailed accusation, Jacobo continued to hold key roles within the neighborhood, including as an executive of the affordable housing nonprofit TODCO, vice president of Calle 24, and leadership roles within the Latino Task Force and the Mission Street Vendors Association.
In April 2024, The San Francisco Standard published a report detailing accusations from three more women against Jacobo, including disturbing allegations of sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence. On August 5, Jacobo was detained and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and domestic violence, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
Meanwhile, another Latinx leader, Kevin Ortiz, co-president of the San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club (SFLDC), was also accused of sexual assault. The allegation by Zahra Hajee, a former aide to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, was published by the San Francisco Chronicle in July, prompting the SFLDC to place Ortiz on a leave of absence. This came two years after nine SFLDC members cosigned a letter of resignation in 2022, citing “a pattern of abusive behavior” and “feeling unsafe” around Ortiz.
Amid an entrenched culture of machismo in the Mission’s Latinx circles, frustrated readers want a District 9 supervisor who will take allegations of sexual assault seriously. Here’s how the candidates running for office this November answered the question:
How would you hold leaders accused of sexual assault accountable?
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