An independent investigation found no credible evidence that Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner physically assaulted or retaliated against Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Martínez Beltrán during a February city council meeting, according to a report released this week.
The investigation, conducted by private firm Kramer Workplace Investigations, concluded in a June 9 report that while Turner did touch Martínez Beltrán during the Feb. 7 special meeting, it could not prove that the contact was aggressive nor that it was motivated by her gender or race—or the fact that she ran against him in the November 2024 election.
“The allegations against Turner are not sustained,” the report states. “The credible evidence presented fails to establish by a preponderance of the evidence” that Turner yelled at or pushed Martínez Beltrán during the meeting.
The City Council voted 3-0 Tuesday night to make the report public and refer it to the California Fair Political Practices Commission and Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury for further review. Turner and Martínez Beltrán did not participate in the vote due to conflicts of interest.
Martínez Beltrán filed the complaint that led to the investigation on Feb. 7, the same day as the alleged incident. She claimed Turner approached her during a break in the meeting, yelled “You’re too much,” pointed his finger at her, said “You’re going to get in line,” and pushed her on her right forearm.
She also alleged Turner retaliated against her for running against him in the November 2024 mayoral election by withholding certain committee assignments. Martínez Beltrán, who is Latina, said she believed Turner’s actions were motivated by her race and gender.
“The investigation, carried out with utmost professionalism and attention to detail, revealed a deeply troubling and persistent pattern of unprofessional conduct by Ms. Beltran,” Turner wrote in a statement. “The findings documented instances of bullying, badgering, lying, intimidation, refusal to adhere to established procedures and protocols, and disruptive behavior.”
The investigation included interviews with council members, the city manager and city attorney. Martínez Beltrán disputed the thoroughness of the investigation in a statement released after the report.
“The report released is incomplete and whitewashed,” she wrote. “While the investigator interviewed the Council, City Manager, and City Attorney, they failed to contact the many relevant witnesses I identified—witnesses whose names were also provided to the police department.”
The report notes that while Martínez Beltrán claimed to have provided a list of 24 witness names for the police investigation and had agreed to share this list with Kramer Workplace Investigations, she had not done so by the time the report was finalized.
Regarding the committee assignments, the report found no evidence Turner’s decisions were retaliatory or discriminatory. The investigation noted that committee assignments are typically made based on various factors including experience, interest and council dynamics.
On the physical contact allegation, the report acknowledged that Turner did touch Martínez Beltrán but concluded that the contact was not aggressive in nature. The investigation found conflicting witness accounts about exactly what occurred during the brief interaction.
The incident was also investigated by Morgan Hill Police Department, which referred the case to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. City Attorney Donald Larkin confirmed the DA’s office rejected the case.
“The District Attorney’s Office has authorized me to disclose that they rejected the case, and no charges will be filed,” Larkin said.
The complaint arose amid ongoing tensions between Turner and Martínez Beltrán following the November election. Martínez Beltrán, who had served on the council for seven years, unsuccessfully challenged Turner for mayor. The two clash frequently during city council meetings over disagreements on policy.
In her statement, Martínez Beltrán said she had worked successfully with Turner for about 1.5 years before their relationship deteriorated after she announced her candidacy.
“I have tried very hard to work with Turner,” she told investigators, describing what she saw as a pattern of retaliation following her electoral challenge.
Turner said Martínez Beltrán’s accusations are the latest in a series of “disruptive behaviors” not befitting a public servant.
“While she often claims to be the victim, she has a history of victimizing others,” Turner wrote in his statement. “Such actions are not only inappropriate but also undermine the integrity of our city government and erode the trust that our community places in its leaders. It is particularly concerning when such behavior comes from someone in a position of public trust.”
The City Council’s response includes several measures beyond releasing the report. They have referred the matter to the FPPC and a Civil Grand Jury, as well as hired a consultant to assist the council in improving council dynamics and function going forward.
In addition, the city has scheduled a special public meeting for 6pm July 22 to present the report to the public. The meeting will feature a presentation by the city’s retained counsel, Shelline K. Bennett from the law firm of Liebert, Cassidy and Whitmore, who oversaw the investigation.
Martínez Beltrán criticized the timing of the report’s release and the scheduled public meeting, saying it was placed on the last agenda before a two-month summer recess without proper public notice. She said she only received the investigation report the day before the council meeting and cannot attend the July 22 special meeting due to a previously planned family vacation.
“Since Council is in recess, I am requesting that this matter be brought back when we reconvene on Aug. 20,” she said. “This process must be transparent, honest and inclusive—not politically convenient.”
Turner noted that while the timing of the July 22 special meeting would be inconvenient for him as well, addressing the allegations would be too important a responsibility not to make time for.
“I think it’s important to do the right thing by attending the meeting and addressing these issues once and for all,” Turner said. “Since it was Ms. Beltran who instigated this investigation with her false allegations, I can only hope she will be in attendance.”
City Attorney Larkin said the investigation has not impacted the council’s ability to conduct regular business.
“The council has continued to function as normal during the investigation,” he said. “I don’t think it’s had any impact on their ability to conduct business.”
At the time of writing, no civil lawsuit has been filed in connection with the allegations, according to Larkin.
Calvin Nuttall is a Morgan Hill-based freelance reporter.
This story has been updated.
