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Last Thursday, San Diego Democratic Party leaders decided not to ask Bob Filner, the mayor of San Diego, to resign over allegations of sexual harassment. Filner has been accused of creating an environment of intimidation with offensive sexual behavior.
However, his former director of communications filed a lawsuit against Filner on Monday alleging he had sexually harassed her, put her in a deadlock, said crude and disgusting things to her, and suggested that she work in office without her panties.
The lawyer for Irene McCormack Jackson, the plaintiff, is none other than Gloria Allred.
After Jackson went public with her accusations against Filner, three more women accused the mayor of sexually harassing staffers and constituents.
Filner has admitted that his behavior toward women may be wrong, but it does not call for him to resign from his post.
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The first public accusations against Filner in the matter happened in a staff meeting in June, when a top aide of the mayor, Allen Jones, confronted him and said, “You are running a terrible office. You are treating women in a horrible manner. What you are doing may even be illegal.” McCormack, who was present supported Allen, but Filner challenged her and asked McCormack to give an example.
McCormack said, “How about when you said that I should take my panties off and work without them?”
Monday’s lawsuit mentions the episode.
However, Filner rejected claims made my McCormack and issued a statement saying “I do not believe these claims are valid. That is why due process is so important. I intend to defend myself vigorously and I know that justice will prevail.”
The lawsuit mentions Filner asked for McCormack’s hand, and once put her in a strong headlock and dragged her around. The lawsuit also mentions that Filner allegedly told McCormack, “I am infatuated with you. When are you going to get naked?”
After surfacing of the allegations, initially Filner had admitted disrespecting woman and said, “I need help,” but now he is all for “due process.”
When the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department launched a hotline to receive calls from possible victims of Filner who may wish to come forward, the merry mayor said, “some of this allegations will finally be addressed by an appropriate investigative authority rather than by press conference and innuendo.”
