Backlash Continues As Many Call On Fletcher To Resign Immediately

LA MESA, CA — As the county Board of Supervisors prepare to discuss options to replace embattled 4th District supervisor Nathan Fletcher many are calling on him to resign effective immediately due to allegations of sexual assault and harassment .

The Board of Supervisors will discuss options to replace Fletcher, who announced his resignation last week, during its May 2 regular meeting, Chairwoman Nora Vargas announced on Twitter and again at the start of the supervisor's Tuesday, April 4 meeting.

"To fill the vacancy due to Supervisor Fletcher's announced resignation, our Board of Supervisors will follow the legal process provided by our charter and board policy which gives us options," Vargas said on Twitter.

Vargas said at the start of Tuesday's meeting that the past week had been challenging for the board and county government, in the wake of Fletcher's announcement.

Vargas said she wants to assure residents that she and her colleagues are committed to moving the process forward. Vargas said over the next few weeks, supervisors will follow a process established by its policies and charter, which gives options on filling the future vacancy.

"United and with your input, our board will determine the best direction for our county," she said.

Rules around how to fill vacancies on the Board of Supervisors are set forth in board policy A-39, which states that the board can appoint a replacement, call a special election or do a combination of the two.

Fletcher Announces Resignation

Fletcher announced his resignation amid allegations of sexual assault and harassment in late March saying he was entering a treatment center for post-traumatic stress, trauma and alcohol abuse and forgoing a run for state Senate.

He posted on Twitter on Wednesday, March 29, that he was resigning from the Board of Supervisors at the request of his wife, former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, to focus on his mental health.

"The strain on my wife and family over this past week has been immense and unbearable. A combination of my personal mistakes plus false accusations has created a burden that my family shouldn't have to bear. I will be resigning from the Board of Supervisors, effective at the end of my medical leave," Fletcher posted on Twitter.

Gonzalez posted on Twitter that she asked her husband to resign "to lessen the strain on our family" and that she was "relived" he was "finally getting treatment."

Alleged Assault and Other Crimes

Fletcher, was also the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Chair, is being sued by former MTS public information officer Grecia Figueroa who alleges he sexually assaulted and harassed her.

Figueroa alleges Fletcher groped her on two occasions and pursued a sexual relationship with her for months, leading to her abrupt firing on the day Fletcher announced his state Senate candidacy.
Fletcher admits having an affair but denies the allegations of assault and harassment.

She said that on Feb. 6, she was fired during a closed-door meeting and believes "that MTS terminated her employment because she was sexually harassed by Defendant Fletcher."

The lawsuit also names the MTS as a defendant and alleges sexual harassment, failure to prevent sexual harassment and retaliation, and whistleblower retaliation.

The Backlash

Fletcher, who said he intends to resign following completion of his treatment on May 15, is being called on by at least one of his peers and numerous others to resign effective immediately instead of delaying his resignation.

San Diego County 5th District Supervisor Jim Desmond released a video calling on Fletcher “to resign immediately.”

"It's been a crazy and disappointing week at the county," Desmond said. "Mr. Fletcher should resign immediately, the Board of Supervisors does not have the power to remove someone but he should not be getting paid by the taxpayers and he should not be receiving medical treatment on the taxpayer's dime."

Desmond said he believed Fletcher's statement of needing treatment for alcohol abuse and PTSD was "a cover up" for his "infidelity" and "other alleged crimes."

Desmond's full statement can be viewed here.

Numerous veteran PTSD treatment advocates are also demanding Fletcher step down now, according to an article published by CBS 8 in San Diego.

"Scrap your plan to wait a month or longer to resign," Jason Gilbert, national chairman of the Disabled Veterans of America PAC, said. "Resign immediately. Otherwise, you’re giving the impression that you’re hiding behind PTSD for political reasons."

Gilbert, who said his wife was a victim of sexual misconduct by former Mayor Bob Filner, called on Fletcher to release a statement immediately clarifying that PTSD is never to blame for sexual assault.

"When I first heard PTSD being correlated with sexual assault, my jaw dropped, and my eyeballs popped," Gilbert said during the news conference held Monday, April 4, outside the Registrar of Voters. "I was concerned that veterans with PTSD were going to hear that and say, 'We're not all sexual predators.'"

Kate Monroe, a marine veteran and founder of the nonprofit, Vetcomm, which serves disabled veterans also called on Fletcher to resign immediately

"Sexual assault is not a partisan issue. No one should receive a pass for sexual assault. Silence is complicity,” Monroe, who is a sexual assault survivor, said. 'Supervisor Fletcher, you’re giving the perception that you're AWOL, meaning you have abandoned your post to hide from taking responsibility and facing your accusers."

To Read More visit CBS8.

Related: SD Supe Nathan Fletcher Resigns From Board Of Supervisors

City News Service contributed to this story.