LONG BEACH : Councilman Files Libel Suit Against Opponent

City Councilman Warren Harwood has initiated a lawsuit against the man who defeated him in a runoff election two weeks ago, claiming that Councilman-elect Jerry Shultz libeled him during the campaign and should pay up to $1 million in damages.

Harwood charges that, among other things, Shultz distributed campaign literature that implied that the councilman was a racist because it repeated an accusation from a neighbor on Falcon Avenue in North Long Beach.

According to a Shultz flyer, Harwood’s next-door neighbor of five years, Debra Atlas, said: “As an African American, I vividly remember the day I moved in next to Mr. Harwood. He immediately built a block wall between our houses and would not allow his children to play with mine.” Harwood said the wall was actually in place when he moved into the house in 1979.

Shultz called the action “a frivolous lawsuit,” adding that he is considering a countersuit. “It’s a shame he’s wasting my time with this when I have a lot of work to do for the council,” said Shultz, who is scheduled to take over the District 7 seat from Harwood on July 19.

Harwood filed the action in Long Beach Superior Court.