08/20/2026
-PUBLIC STATEMENT
REGARDING LEIA SCHENK'S ABSENCE FROM THE SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL MEETING-
EMPACT is issuing this statement to address our founder and CEO Leia Schenk's decision not to attend the August 18, 2026 Sacramento City Council meeting, where the agenda item “Violence Prevention and Intervention Strategies" was presented by Nicole Clavo, Director of the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP).
Leia has been consistent and public about the many concerns regarding OVP, concerns rooted in accountability, transparency, and whether public investment in violence prevention is actually reaching and serving the communities it is intended to protect. She has raised these concerns on the record, brought impacted families forward to speak for themselves, and submitted detailed, documented recommendations for reform.
In recent days, Leia received a threat referencing being "killed" for continuing to speak out on these concerns. That threat came from someone that directly receives OVP funding. Coupled with the language of the threat itself, this raised legitimate and serious concerns for her personal safety, and for the safety of others who share these concerns, in a way that made in-person attendance and public comment at Tuesday's meeting unsafe.
EMPACT's decision not to attend was not a withdrawal from civic participation. It was a decision made necessary to protect Leia's safety and the safety of the families she serves. We do not believe Tuesday's meeting represented a genuine space for dialogue and accountability, and we did not believe attending under these circumstances would have moved that work forward.
The City has a responsibility to ensure the safety of the very people it calls on to participate in the public process. EMPACT remains committed to advocating for victims and their families, building safer communities, and speaking out about the barriers and ineffective structures within OVP. Community members should be able to feel safe inside City Hall.
When a community advocate and leader communicates a specific, credible concern involving threats connected to their public advocacy, the expectation is meaningful follow-up, especially when the threat originates from within the very system the City funds to prevent violence.
We believe Tuesday's meeting, as structured, was neither inclusive nor effective, and we remain open to real dialogue that produces real solutions and real public safety; for the community, and for the advocates who show up for it.
EMPACT Team
