SF Mayor Daniel Lurie seeks review of Chinese New Year Parade funding amid lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said there will be a review of taxpayer funds provided to the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce as the organization faces a sexual assault and harassment lawsuit involving its board members.

Lurie said the city's annual Chinese New Year Parade will move forward despite the lawsuit against the chamber, which has organized the event for 69 years.

"Let me be crystal clear, there will be a Chinese New Year Parade in 2027. It is one of the great events in the city. But we need to make sure we have a responsible steward of those dollars," Lurie said.

The legal dispute, however, raises questions about whether the organization will remain in charge of the parade after next year. Former chamber employee Judy Lee alleges she was wrongfully terminated and was inappropriately touched by board members for more than a decade. Lee also claims similar conduct involved former Miss Chinatown pageant contestants.

At issue is a nearly $500,000 city grant awarded to the chamber for the parade.

Lurie addressed the funding Wednesday, saying he wants to ensure taxpayer money is being spent appropriately.

"There's many different factors, but we always want to protect taxpayer money. So the audit has nothing to do with the legal matters, but we're going to make sure we audit any nonprofit that gets taxpayer money," Lurie said.

The chamber denied the allegations and said it intends to fight the lawsuit.

"While we take all allegations of harassment seriously, we look forward to defending our case in court. We will do so while also demonstrating that we work tirelessly to foster a welcoming environment for everyone," the organization said in a statement.

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade is the largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia. The next parade is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2027.