SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Nathan Fletcher has announced that he is resigning from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors after a lawsuit was filed by a former MTS employee who accused him of sexually harassing and assaulting her.
Supervisor Fletcher's resignation takes effect on Monday, May 15 at 5 p.m.
The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday by 34-year-old Grecia Figueroa, claims Fletcher stalked her on social media and sexually touched her without consent on multiple occasions, which Fletcher has denied.
Fletcher released a statement Wednesday night, sharing how the controversy and allegations have taken a toll on his family.
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. I will focus solely on getting healthy and being a good husband, father, and friend.
I am grateful to my constituents for the honor of serving you, my incredible team who worked tirelessly to make a real difference, and our county workers who put it all on the line for those most in need every day. I am proud of what we accomplished together. My decision today is solely based on what is best for my family.
The supervisor initially responded to the allegations by releasing a statement early Wednesday, admitting to having "consensual interactions" with an individual, but he did not identify them.
Fletcher, who is married to former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, said he did violate the basic trust of his marriage.
I love my husband. He has acknowledged his mistakes & I believe his name will be cleared of false accusations. Still, I asked him to resign to lessen the strain on our family. I’m relieved he is finally getting treatment he needs. Thank you to everyone who has reached out today. https://t.co/srNQoLaAFE
— Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (@LorenaSGonzalez) March 30, 2023
Two employees of Fletcher's staff resigned Wednesday evening following the allegations, one of them being Head Policy Chief Emily Wier.
President of the People's Association of Justice Advocates Shane Harris says he commends Fletcher for making the decision to step down from his position.
Earlier today, I was the first leader in San Diego county to call for the resignation of San Diego Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.
Tonight he announced that he is resigning from the San Diego County Fourth District Supervisorial seat and is going to focus on his family's healing and I commend him for making that decision. My prayer goes out to his family and all involved in this situation. This decision now allows San Diego County and county district four constituents the opportunity to close this chapter together and enter a new chapter filled with the possibility and opportunity to meet the most vital and important needs of the people.
I thank Supervisor Fletcher for his service and wish him nothing but healing and peace.
This all comes days after Fletcher announced he was ending his state-senate campaign to seek treatment for PTSD and alcohol abuse.
The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment, failure to prevent sexual harassment and retaliation, sexual assault and battery, and whistleblower retaliation.
A statement was released on behalf of Figueroa Thursday. Read the full statement below:
In response to the many media inquiries related to the matter of Grecia Figueroa v. Nathan Fletcher; et al:
First and foremost, we ask that everyone please respect Ms. Figueroa's privacy. This has been an incredibly shocking and emotional series of events, particularly as Nathan Fletcher and Lorena Gonzalez attempted to publicly defame my client (and me) prior to the release of our civil complaint. While we are very grateful for all the support we have received from the community, we do not intend to engage in any interviews or press conferences at this time. Ms. Figueroa needs space to process and to heal from this week's events, and thus, we request that all future inquiries be directed to my office only.
Regarding a statement of our position, the allegations in our civil complaint speak for themselves -- as do Nathan Fletcher's actions over the past several days. Our complaint noted (at paragraphs 56-61) that Nathan Fletcher, Lorena Gonzalez, and their attorney, Danielle Moore, threatened to publicly humiliate, defame, and (falsely) accuse my client of "extortion" if we brought our story to light. And in the hours between the time we filed our complaint and the time it was published by the court, Nathan Fletcher, Lorena Gonzalez, and Danielle Moore did just that. Their actions were truly shameless and despicable, and they will be addressed appropriately as we litigate our case in civil court.
Click here to read the full lawsuit.
10News is naming Figueroa because we have been in contact with her and asked permission, which was granted, to use her name in the reporting of this story. It's normally 10News policy not to name alleged victims of sexual assault, however, Figueroa granted 10News permission in the reporting of this story.
