Updated on June 27 at 10:21 A.M.
A tense exchange between San Diego City Councilmember Henry Foster and a District 4 constituent has sparked conduct concerns after video circulated of the elected official firing off sharp remarks during a community Juneteenth event earlier this week.
The thirty-second video clip uploaded by Neighbors for Encanto begins in the middle of a conversation between Kenny Key, a veteran and lifelong resident of Emerald Hills, and the District 4 Councilmember.
“You don’t deserve the respect,” Key shouts as the video begins.
“Go home to your mama’s house,” said Councilmember Foster. He repeats the statement thirteen additional times.
“You need to do real leadership,” Key shouts. “You’re the worst District Councilman we have ever had.”
“And you’re a punk,” Foster fired back. He repeated that statement nine separate times before the video ended.
The pair regularly steps in and out of each other’s faces, with two bystanders closely monitoring the exchange. The June 19 video was recorded in a parking lot off Imperial Ave. during a Juneteenth event hosted by the local nonprofit Second Chance.
In a statement issued to Voice & Viewpoint on Tuesday, Councilmember Foster states: “The encounter was unexpected, and my reaction wasn’t as composed as I would’ve liked. This past Sunday, the individual and I spoke — we cleared the air, I apologized, and we agreed to move forward respectfully. At the end of the day, we all care about this community, and that’s where my focus remains.”
According to Neighbors for Encanto, Key approached Councilmember Foster before the video began to request a town hall on Footnote 7—a controversial zone change that allowed more housing development in low-income and historic Black neighborhoods without proper public input. Key is a member of the Encanto grassroots group, which formed in response to Footnote 7 and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) policy debates.
Footnote 7 has been one of the most noteworthy housing equity discussions in San Diego over the past year. While mounting backlash got the footnote formally removed in April, residents say true accountability and ownership of how the footnote was placed has yet to be made.
“Kenny respectfully asked for a public town hall to address the origins of Footnote 7. Footnote 7, which was a zoning policy that had rezoned only the poorest, Blackest neighborhoods in Encanto and Emerald Hills,” the statement from Neighbors for Encanto wrote.
“On Juneteenth, instead of answering Kenny with a respectful response, Henry Foster responded with cruelty: He told Kenny to “go home to your mama”, called him a slur, and tried to belittle him in public. On Juneteenth—a sacred day of Black liberation and dignity.”
Key is reportedly a full-time caregiver for his mother who is disabled. Voice & Viewpoint reached out for comment from Key on Monday and has not received a response.
This is not the first time in recent months that Councilmember Foster has been recorded in a tense verbal exchange with a constituent in public. In March, another grassroots community organization, Save Del Cerro, had uploaded a recording of Councilmember Foster yelling at a resident in defense of the late Leon Williams, telling the resident that they were not “marginalized” following a heated debate over a mega church development.
Foster’s office later released a statement apologizing that his words were taken out of context.
This story is part of Voice & Viewpoint’s continuing coverage of Councilmember Foster and District 4. Recent reporting has highlighted his involvement in key city matters, from budget deliberations, housing and equity initiatives to campaign activities.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Voice & Viewpoint is not affiliated with Amy Reichert nor is our publication aware of any credible claims that Councilmember Foster is requesting the video be taken down from social media accounts, despite claims circulating on social media to the contrary.