Councilman Ara Najarian, a former four-time mayor of Glendale, has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that the mayoral selection process in April violated a key provision of the Glendale Municipal Code. Najarian is represented by his son, attorney Alexander Najarian, and is challenging the decision that resulted in Elen Asatryan being appointed as mayor.
The Glendale bylaw specifies that the mayor should be selected annually by the city council during its first regular meeting after the first Monday of April. At this meeting, both Najarian and Asatryan were nominated, and Asatryan was elected by a 3-2 vote.
Najarian’s lawsuit, filed on July 11, alleges that the council showed bias and failed to follow its ministerial duties by allowing personal opinions to influence the selection. He claims the council “abused their discretion” in applying Section H of the municipal code, which outlines how the mayor should be selected, without providing evidence that it was in the city’s best interest to bypass him for the role. Najarian also accuses Councilmembers Asatryan and Ardy Kassakhian of intentionally ignoring the law governing the mayoral selection because they found it unfair.
In response to the lawsuit, both Najarian and City Attorney Mike Garcia declined to comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings. On the same day Najarian filed his lawsuit, he also submitted a request for a stay—asking the court to either halt Asatryan’s appointment or allow the two to rotate as mayor monthly until the court reaches a decision.
The city filed an opposition to Najarian’s lawsuit on July 23, arguing that the case should be dismissed, as the challenge came 14 weeks after Asatryan had taken office. Superior Court Judge Stephen Goorvitch later denied Najarian’s motion for a stay on August 5.
As the legal battle continues, the city responded to Najarian’s petition for a writ on August 12, denying most of his allegations and requesting that the court rule in the city’s favor. The city also asked for reimbursement of legal fees. Najarian responded on August 19, filing a motion asking for judgment in his favor ahead of a scheduled court hearing on October 23 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
Central to the dispute is a city ordinance passed in 2021, which introduced a seniority rule for mayoral selection. The ordinance specifies that the councilmember with the longest continuous service on the council, who has not recently served as mayor, should be appointed to the position. Najarian, who was first elected in 2005 and had served four terms as mayor, believed he was next in line based on this rule.
However, during a council meeting on March 26, discussions emerged about revising the seniority clause. Councilmembers Kassakhian and Asatryan questioned its fairness, arguing that every councilmember should have the chance to serve as mayor. Kassakhian pointed out that while Najarian had served more times than anyone in Glendale’s history, Asatryan had never held the position.
Asatryan also criticized the ordinance, stating that simply having served as mayor before should not guarantee someone another term. At the time, every councilmember except Asatryan had already served as mayor.
Subsection H of the code allows the council discretion to bypass the next in line for mayor if it is deemed in the city’s “best interest.” Najarian claims that this clause was not properly applied during the decision to elect Asatryan.
During the April 2 meeting, former Councilwoman Paula Devine nominated Najarian for mayor, while Councilmembers Kassakhian and Brotman nominated Asatryan. Najarian, referencing the seniority rule, said he felt the council’s use of the “best interest” clause was akin to putting him on trial, and he left the dais to sit with his attorney. City Attorney Garcia advised that the clause did not require an administrative hearing, and each councilmember proceeded to explain their vote.
Councilman Brotman cited Najarian’s remarks in an October 2023 interview with California Insider as a key reason for invoking the “best interest” clause. During the interview, Najarian falsely claimed that the Glendale Unified School District was teaching students “the proper way” to engage in same-sex oral sex and that teachers were encouraging gender transitions through hormone therapy. Brotman stated that these comments contributed to his decision not to reappoint Najarian as mayor.
Despite Najarian’s objections, Asatryan was appointed mayor with three votes—those of Brotman, Kassakhian, and herself. Najarian and Devine cast the two dissenting votes.
The court is expected to rule on the matter later this year.
