Residents Against Overdevelopment
Why Residents Should Not Vote for Russell Stuart
Here are pros and cons on Russell Stuart, currently serving as a Beverly Hills School Board member. Below we have copied Peter Ostroff's editorial on Russell Stuart published in the May 14, 2025 issue of the Beverly Hills Weekly newspaper reaching our same conclusion.
Russell Stuart is a devoted father of a daughter in our school system.
He served at least one weekend a month and two weeks per year as a volunteer airman, officer, and ultimately a captain in the California State Guard stationed at Channel Islands. This military group supports the state during emergencies such as wildfires and floods, and volunteers are compensated when called to emergency duty by the governor. Russell represents at his website that he served for nearly 10 years, that he received a number of medals for his service, and that he developed a software platform for the group.
He also represents at his website that he has volunteered with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, with the LAPD Hollywood Division in their Communications Department, and as a Los Angeles County Reserve Deputy Probation Threat Liaison Officer.
He graduated Team Beverly Hills, about a 10 evening course over a several month time period, and a 6 day Beverly Hills Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team program.
He has worked as a security guard, and in the last few years started a security guard agency, Force Protection Agency, and opened a gun company, Beverly Hills Guns.
However, for the reasons explained below, we believe that Russell Stuart would not be a good choice to serve on our City Council.
Russell Stuart was first interviewed when he was running for City Council during the 2022 election. It was clear that he was uninformed on city matters and had no experience in city or community service here. However he appeared to have friends in our police force.
At that time he stated that we need more developments like Cheval Blanc and more 7 story buildings. When he was confronted with a differing view favoring our 3 story height limit for commercial properties adjacent to our homes and in the triangle, his response was, “Well would you agree to 4 or 5 stories?”—as if he would all of a sudden change his point of view.
He kept ordering glasses of wine and had at least 3 or 4 glasses up to the time the meeting was terminated. He did not appear to be drunk, but his guzzling wine on that occasion was not impressive.
He received a good number of votes in the 2022 council race but did not win due at least in part to the fact that he had no city community service. After that loss he posted on Instagram the following picture of guns and rifles at a target practice above the title: “What any good Republican does after a hard fought election!"
Next, in 2024 Russell ran as one of four candidates for three open seats on the Beverly Hills School Board. During that election he represented that if elected, he would serve his entire 4 year school board term. But now, halfway into his term, he has demonstrated that his representation was false and fraudulent, and serving on the School Board was simply a stepping stone to another run for City Council. Also, he would not care if the city had to pay thousands of dollars to schedule another School Board election if he were to be elected to City Council.
Our city has long had a thoughtful practice of keeping our elections and handling of city business non-partisan. That facilitates our being unified and objective. But Russell Stuart has, in social media posts, as shown above, and in interviews, brought politics into the equation in unpleasant ways. For instance, after the Board majority orchestrated staff dismissals and changes without input from the community, many parents were upset and felt that the School Board majority had not acted with transparency. Russell Stuart’s insensitive response was to dismiss parents’ concerns and to equate the BHUSD with DOGE, as shown by his post below:
On December 16, 2025, the school board majority, including Russell Stuart, was required by School Board Bylaw 9100 to elect Dr. Amanda Stern as Vice President because of her seniority and the fact that she had received the most votes in the recent election. However Stuart and his two co-horts, Board Members Judith Manouchehri and Sigalie Sabag, refused to follow the law and elected Sigalie Sabag as Vice-President instead.
Many residents voiced their legitimate concerns about the School Board majority's conduct at the Board meeting on January 13, 2026, including Attorney Daniel Lifschitz, which drew considerable applause. But instead of Stuart treating the residents with respect and addressing their concerns, he demeaned them, sidestepped the issue, started claiming that improvements at schools had been made, and stated about Lifschitz, “I can’t believe you’re a fricken lawyer.” Residents spoke beginning at 3:27, and Stuart spoke beginning at 3:57 at the following link.
https://www.youtube.com/live/_MVOVwYMLHQ?t=14266s
In fact Russell Stuart has a well known reputation for having a poor temperament and therefore being unfit to serve public office.
When the board majority's illegal action did not pass muster with residents, the board majority next orchestrated a change to Board Bylaw 9100, eliminating the provision requiring election of the Vice President according to residents' votes, so that the board majority could ignore residents' preferences and instead go by their own.
Attorney Daniel Lifschitz filed a court action. Just because the judge did not initially grant an injunction against the school board, its majority hired counsel, Best, Best & Krieger, to issue a false press release that the case was not meritorious. That press release was also sent to attorney Lifschitz’s law firm partners in a vindictive attempt to embarrass him.
At the next court hearing, the judge found that the case was well based and could go forward even though the school board had tried to cover their tracks by voting to change the Bylaws, holding the election all over again, and again refusing to elect Dr. Stern as Vice President.
Although we do not have the exact amount, we know what Stuart’s and his co-horts' refusal to follow the law has cost and will continue to cost the Beverly Hills School District thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees, especially since the school board majority refused to settle the case by electing Dr. Stern as Vice President.
In sum, we need city council members who are not untrustworthy and deceptive, and who do not promise to serve an entire term when they have no intention of doing so, who will follow the law, and who will promote unity and respect by conducting city business in a reasonable, professional, kind, non-partisan manner. Unfortunately Russell Stuart is not such a person.
The following is an editorial written by Peter Ostroff in the Beverly Hills Weekly in which reaches our same conclusion.
"One candidate, Russell Stuart, does not appear to have any of these qualities. Perhaps even worse, he has not made any effort to meet voters or to answer their (or my) questions about his background or plans. His campaign has been limited to posting things on social media. Notably, many of his postings are not appropriate for publication in this family newspaper.
When Mr. Stuart ran for the Board of Education, he assured voters and committed that, if elected to the Board, he would serve out his four year term. Less than 18 months into that term he is prepared to abandon that commitment.
So much for integrity.
His campaign has been limited to ubiquitous social media postings that seem in some instances intended to deceive the voters. For example, his postings imply that he has the support and endorsement of Council members Nazarian and Mirisch when both have confirmed to me and Mr. Stuart knows that neither one supports or endorses hm. With Mirisch, Mr. Stuart went so far as to post favorable comments made when he ran for school board nearly two years ago. And in the last few days, in a crude effort to pander to some of our Iranian-American voters, he posted a message that portrayed himself and Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah. The photos of Mr. Stuart and Mr. Pahlavi were clearly taken at different times but appeared to depict them together.
So much for honesty.
Early in Mr. Stuart’s term on the Board of Education, he spearheaded a contract
between BHUSD and SK Sports for the purchase of uniforms and equipment for school athletic teams. At the time, the Beverly Hills Athletic Alumni Association (BHAAA) had for nearly 20 years purchased all of the uniforms and equipment needed by the athletic
teams at no cost to BHUSD.
During the current fiscal year, BHUSD records reflect that the District has already spent several hundred thousand $ on purchases through SK Sports. The BHAAA has not been involved and has withheld its customary support. Thus, because of Mr. Stuart’s insistence that the District proceed with SK Sports, the District has spent large sums
unnecessarily.
Mr. Stuart’s social media postings provide further insight into his character.
However, most of his postings are not suitable for publication.
So much for good judgment.
Mr. Stuart is a gun dealer who owns a business called Beverly Hills Guns. His
customers include members of the Beverly Hills Police Department who buy personal firearms from him. As a public office holder, I consider such relationships to pose a conflict of interest. Further, as many of you know, Mr. Stuart has filed a lawsuit against the City seeking damages for injuries sustained when a driver crashed into Mr. Stuart who was standing on a City sidewalk. This, of course raises another conflict of interest.
So much for having the interests of the City paramount.
Perhaps worst of all, has been Mr. Stuart’s conduct toward his Board of Education colleagues and parents and members of the public who have appeared before the Board and expressed disagreement with him. He has regularly angrily criticized and insulted at least two of his Board of Education colleagues. He supported violating the District ByLaws by voting Trustee Sigalie Sabag as Vice President rather than Dr. Amanda Stern who should have had the position. This has put the District in expensive litigation that is not going well for the District.
Mr. Stuart regularly insults and mocks parents who have appeared before the Board of Education. When Will Rogers said “He never met a man he didn’t like” it is clear that he never met Mr. Stuart when he was angered.
So much for playing well with others.
In view of the fact that we know so little about the background of Mr. Stuart, a 50
year old man, before and after he arrived in California less than 20 years ago, I have
tried to interview him about his background. He has ignored my requests so I am constrained to conduct an interview without him.
In my view, anyone who may consider voting for him should demand answers to
these questions.
Question: We know from your LinkedIn profile that you have attended extension classes in three different community colleges on subjects relating to guns. Have you attended any other college or university? Do you have a high school diploma?
Question: You identify as a movie maker. Have you produced or directed any film
other than “Camp Virginovich” which you directed and is described as “Two helpless
high school geeks travel to Russia the summer before their senior year in hopes of losing their virginity at a summer camp that guarantees they will get laid.”
Question: Would you continue to sell guns to City employees such as police officers if you are elected to the City Council?
Question: The only regular employment that you have described since you came to California ten or fifteen years ago is “Director of Security for Wally’s Wines and Liquors”. Was your relationship terminated because a member of your security team badly beat up a customer?
Question: Given that you have engaged in angry outbursts aimed at your Board of Education colleagues and members of the public, if elected to the City Council, would you commit to participate in anger management training?
Question: Have you received anything of value from anyone as a result of
your causing BHUSD to enter into the SK Sports contract?
I wish that I could have questioned Mr. Stuart directly about these and other issues.
Maybe you will have better luck."
(May 24, 2026)