Chinatown leader agreed to pay hush money to harassment accuser, court docs show

Donald Luu, former president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, claims his accuser violated a settlement deal by going public.

Donald Luu is suing former Chinese Chamber of Commerce employee Judy Lee for defamation. | Juliana Yamada/The Standard

By Max Harrison-Caldwell News Reporter

Published Jul. 10, 2026 at 1:52pm

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Donald Luu, who resigned last month as president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce after allegations of sexual harassment, is refusing to pay his accuser an agreed-upon settlement.

The chamber’s program director, Judy Lee, recently went public with allegations that Luu harassed her while they worked together. Documents uploaded to the San Francisco Superior Court website Wednesday claim that the two reached a settlement agreement earlier this year. A spokesperson for Luu confirmed that the agreement included a sum of money but did not reveal the amount.

The documents are part of a defamation lawsuit Luu filed against Lee in early June.

According to the documents, Luu never paid Lee a cent. His complaint accuses Lee of violating the terms of their agreement by divulging privileged information to chamber board members and staff. In short, Luu agreed to pay Lee to keep her mouth shut, but she talked, thereby breaking the deal, he claims.

Luu’s complaint says Lee’s claims are completely fabricated. A representative for Luu said he agreed to pay Lee to keep quiet because he knew her accusations would hurt his reputation. Luu is now characterizing the scandal as criminal extortion.

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Lee’s lawyer Kathleen Alparce decried this characterization.

“JUDY LEE IS THE VICTIM,” Alparce wrote in a statement Friday. In a previous statement, she described the alleged harassment as “unwelcome advances and retaliatory behavior”; Friday’s mentions “heinous acts and mistreatment.”

Alparce said the only truth in Luu’s claims is the existence of a confidential settlement agreement. She vowed that her client will continue fighting and not capitulate to threats. While she stopped short of announcing a countersuit, Alparce said Lee “will seek all available recourse” against Luu’s accusations.

Luu was elected president of the chamber — a nearly century-old organization that hosts the annual Chinese New Year Parade — in 2022. He was a protégé of Rose Pak , the legendary Chinatown power broker who died in 2016.

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Max Harrison-Caldwell

@low___impact (opens in new tab)

Max Harrison-Caldwell is a news reporter at The San Francisco Standard who focuses on housing, culture, and breaking news.

Chinatown Lawsuits News Sexual Harassment