City Attorney of San Francisco

The San Francisco Unified School District has kept public schools in San Francisco closed for more than 330 days, even though health officials have allowed schools in San Francisco to be open for in-person instruction since September. During this time, students have faced a mental health crisis and a growing achievement gap. It's time for them to get back in the classroom.

San Francisco is seeking an emergency court order against the city’s school district in order to compel the district to reopen public schools. "Desperate parents are providing heartbreaking accounts of what is happening to their children," said City Attorney Dennis Herrera. "Mental health experts report that kids of all ages are experiencing severe mental health problems: depression, anxiety, self-harming behavior, suicidal thoughts. And yet, public schools in San Francisco remain shut. It’s unconscionable, it’s unlawful and it must end."

Happy Lunar New Year to all those celebrating! We wish you joy, health and happiness. #LunarNewYear

Happy #HolidaysAtHome from all of us at the City Attorney’s Office! The safest option is to love your family and friends from a distance this holiday season. In person gatherings are not worth the risk stay home and save lives.

I don’t think that most of the general public around the area really understands what’s going on inside the walls of the hospital, said Randy Loveless, the interim director of St. Mary’s emergency department, among other critical areas. I’ve been doing this 25 years. I’ve been all over the country with my career. I’ve never seen anything like this. And one of the worst things about it is there’s no end in sight.

As of Saturday, nearly 17,400 Californians were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections more than double the previous peak reached in July.

While San Francisco has begun rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations, these are not yet widely available. Watch out for vaccine scams that are popping up to prey on consumers. Stay alert and informed and learn how to avoid these COVID-19 vaccine scams. ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams #COVID19 #COVID19Vaccine

Distance learning is not the same thing as school, not even close. We know that teachers are doing heroic work every day trying to keep kids engaged and learnin...g. So are overburdened parents. Even with all of those tremendous efforts, almost a year of being isolated from classmates, friends and teachers is taking a terrifying toll on these kids. It must stop. It’s time to get back in class. That's why today I filed for an emergency court order to open SF public schools. We'll be in court March 22 for a hearing on the motion.

Before making plans for the #SuperBowl, consider the risks of gathering in-person. #COVID19 is spreading rapidly and in-person gatherings risk the health of everyone attending. Opt for at-home viewing to #ProtectOurCommunity.

The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in San Francisco were given this morning to frontline healthcare workers at SF General Hospital! There is an end to this pandemic in sight. Let's do everything we can to keep each other safe until we get there.

Today we sued the San Francisco Unified School District for its failure to implement a school reopening plan that meets state requirements. It’s a shame that it... has come to this, but we need to take action to get kids back into classrooms. The undisputed scientific consensus is that schools can reopen safely for teachers, staff and students with proper precautions, and that in-person instruction is not causing spikes in COVID-19 infections. Let’s follow the science and get the school doors open. Our children and their families are suffering, especially our communities of color and working mothers. Students are facing a mental health crisis and a widening achievement gap that threaten their futures. Getting kids back to in-person learning needs to be the school board’s singular focus not renaming empty schools, changing admission standards, or anything else. In terms of getting students back into school, the San Francisco Unified School District has earned an F. It’s unfortunate that the leadership of the school district and the educators’ union can’t seem to get their act together. We didn’t want to go to court over this, but enough is enough. The children and families of San Francisco need progress.

Crushing this #COVID19 surge will require everyone to make sacrifices. #ProtectOurCommunity by staying home for the holidays, avoiding in person gatherings with members of other households, and ordering takeout from your favorite restaurants. #HolidaysAtHome

This decision makes it abundantly clear that Uber and Lyft have been breaking the law for years. The only thing ‘radical’ and ‘unprecedented’ is the scope of Ub...er and Lyft’s misconduct. This is a victory for the people of California and for every driver who has been denied fair wages, paid sick days, and other benefits by these companies. See more

City Attorney Dennis Herrera: "Thank you Mayor Breed. SFUSD’s top priority needs to be safely getting kids back in the classroom. It’s time for the district to focus on solutions that protect staff and students while getting kids the in-person instruction they need."

Want to know what it's like to intern at the San Francisco City Attorney's Office? Law students from UC Hastings College of the Law share their experiences in this Spotlight, and talk about what it's like to work in our office, what they learned from working with Deputy City Attorneys and how they helped the City respond to COVID-19.

Our case to stop worker misclassification by Uber and Lyft continued this morning before the First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Misclassification is a significant factor in the erosion of the middle class and the rise of income inequality, said Deputy City Attorney Matthew Goldberg, speaking on behalf of our case with California and the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego. For example, drivers that are classified as contractors now miss out on reimbursement of business expenses they incur while driving. The suggestion that it is not harmful to a driver to not get that money seems implausible to me, he said. The loss of wages clearly constitutes irreparable harm.

Thank you to all the Disease Intervention Specialists who are serving our City during these challenging times. We're proud to have had members of our staff from the City Attorney's Office take part in these efforts and serve San Francisco as Contact Tracers.

We've sued 28 known drug dealers to prevent them from coming into the Tenderloin. These lawsuits give us another tool to help stop the brazen open-air drug dealing that has plagued this historic neighborhood at the center of the City’s opioid crisis.

Join us at 10 a.m. today on Facebook live to learn more about these lawsuits.

This is devastating news. Our hearts are shattered right now for Justice Ginsburg’s family and for our nation. She was an unparalleled force for equality, civil... rights and liberty. She was a legal giant who not only opened doors, she kept them open for others. The grief feels overwhelming, but Justice Ginsburg would want us to persevere. As she once said: "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." Rest in power RBG. See more

Today on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we honor, reflect on and remember the victims, first responders and their families. #Honor911

We just won another victory over the Trump administration’s illegal attempts to hijack the 2020 census. We’re proud to be part of the coalition of state and loc...al governments fighting to ensure that every person in our country is counted. This was a great victory today, and we will keep fighting to protect the rule of law for as long as this president keeps trying to undermine it. Everyone needs to stand up and be counted. If you have not filled out the census questionnaire already, please do so today. It is safe, and it is vitally important. You matter. Your voice matters. Our democracy depends on you using it. #2020Census

The California Supreme Court today declined to review our case involving Proposition C, passed by San Francisco voters in November 2018. That decision upheld a lower court's ruling in our favor, and frees up millions of dollars to provide services, housing and mental health treatment for those in our City who most desperately need it.