An independent investigator has substantiated that AC Transit board director Joel Young subjected fellow director Sarah Syed to unwanted physical contact during a recess of a board meeting last September, a finding that violated the agency's policy against gender-based harassment. The determination arrives as both Young and Syed run for new seats on the transit board this fall, adding fresh political weight to a case that had been handled quietly for months.
The incident happened during a recess of the AC Transit board meeting on Sept. 24, 2025, according to East Bay Insiders, which first reported the confidential findings. The probe was triggered by an anonymous complaint against Young, and the law firm Meyers Nave was brought in to conduct the independent investigation, according to the seed reporting from The Oaklandside. Investigators interviewed Syed and other relevant parties, assessed witness credibility, and reviewed video, documents, district policies and other evidence, per East Bay Insiders.
A Dec. 17 letter concluded the touching violated AC Transit Board Policy No. 260, which prohibits gender-based harassment, though investigators did not find that it violated separate policies barring bullying, abusive conduct or workplace violence, per The Oaklandside's reporting. The two-page notification did not indicate whether Young faced discipline as a result of the substantiated finding, the same outlet noted.
What the Video and Witnesses Describe
According to The Oaklandside, video of the incident made public by AC Transit shows Young putting his hands around Syed at the two-hour-and-49-second mark. Witness Jean Walsh told the outlet she observed Young approach Syed from behind and wrap both arms around her, squeezing her in an embrace, and found the interaction inappropriate and creepy. Syed appeared uncomfortable during the interaction, per that same reporting.
Young has said the contact was a hug that a colleague misunderstood, made during the board's remembrance of longtime director Chris Peeples, according to East Bay Insiders. He did not provide a statement to The Oaklandside by press time. Four other directors — Diane Shaw, Murphy McCalley, Anthony Silva and Harpreet Sandhu — defended Young in a statement, saying he was offering solace and support to a colleague during an emotional moment, per the outlet's reporting. Syed declined to comment.
A Fraught History Between the Two Directors
The reporting notes that Young and Syed are not friends and are not on the best of terms; Young once urged the board to censure Syed. The reporting did not establish that AC Transit general counsel Aimee Steele recommended keeping the finding out of a public meeting. AC Transit did not respond to the outlet's inquiry to Steele before publication.
Robert Lyles, AC Transit's communications director, said the board promptly referred the matter to an independent investigator and that the agency limited what it could share during the investigation to protect its integrity and the privacy of those involved. Lyles said the agency could share a clearer picture once the investigation and board review were complete, and AC Transit affirmed its confidence in the independent review, per the reporting.
Board Election Fallout Spills Into Democratic Politics
The finding has become a flashpoint in local Democratic politics ahead of the fall election. Rebecca Saltzman, El Cerrito's mayor pro tem and a former BART board president who served on that board for 12 years, sent the investigative summary to the central committee of the Alameda County Democratic Party ahead of a Sunday endorsement meeting, according to The Oaklandside. Saltzman said she would have called for official censure had the conduct occurred at a BART meeting and described Young's substantiated behavior as totally unacceptable.
Saltzman, along with Syed, Jean Walsh and Barnali Ghosh, condemned the conduct substantiated by the independent investigation and endorsed Adriana Valencia, a tech product manager from Alameda, in the Ward 3 race against Young. Saltzman said the women went public after Valencia's endorsement was removed from the committee's consent calendar, and that some committee members wanted to hear Young's response first. Walsh said she signed the women's email to make the harassment facts known. The reporting did not establish that Young disputed the investigative findings to the John George Democratic steering committee.
Two Contested Races, One Reshaped Board
Young has served on the AC Transit board since 2009, holding his current term through 2026 as the board's at-large director, according to AC Transit. He has also served as board vice president and president, and supporters credit him with securing more than $600 million for the agency, expanding its zero-emission fleet, and advancing workforce development and transit technology while representing AC Transit nationally, per The Oaklandside's reporting. The board decided in 2023 to phase out the at-large position, and Young is now running for the Ward 3 seat, which represents central and north Oakland, Piedmont and Alameda, against Valencia.
Syed, a board member finishing her first term, is running for the Ward 4 seat covering East Oakland and most of the Oakland hills, where she faces educator Gabriel Morales. AC Transit's board has the authority to consider disciplinary action when a policy violation is found, and any potential sanctions would need to be considered during a public meeting, though no such meeting has been scheduled, per the reporting.
