The sexual harassment allegations lodged against Mayor Bob Filner may be more far-reaching than previously reported.
There are now claims that the mayor’s advances toward women were directed not only at members of his staff and city employees.
The most recent woman to make allegations says she learned how forward Filner was at a monthly meet-and-greet event at city hall earlier this year.
The woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, says she met with the mayor to inform him of an important issue in her community. She says she waited in a line for more than an hour to do so.
When her turn came, she entered an enclosed cubicle where Filner sat at a desk next to mayoral staff member Willie Blair. The woman explained her complaints. A few minutes later, she says Filner told Blair to leave the cubicle.
“After he excused Blair, he told me that he thought I was a very attractive woman and asked if I would go out with him,” says the woman in a July 14 email.
“I thought he was making a joke and told him that I knew he had a very attractive fiancée. He then repeated that he would like to go out with me. He never acknowledged my comment about his fiancée. He then said he would like to kiss me. I did not acknowledge him. He leaned over and kissed me anyway. I got up and left.”
The woman says she told some friends about the incident but chose to not file a formal complaint. She decided to come forward after hearing allegations from other women.
The statement is the first detailed account to come to light since attorneys Cory Briggs and Marco Gonzalez and former councilmember Donna Frye came forward with the allegations in letters to Filner and at a July 11 press conference.
One day later, on July 12, Filner issued a statement, agreeing to cooperate with investigators from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission did not respond to questions about whether investigators look into harassment charges from constituents.
Update: The woman provided attorney Cory Briggs with a sworn affidavit, according to a story by KPBS.
"This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the woman's statement. Her quote about her friends remembering how upset she was was added after being asked whether she told anyone about the incident."
The sexual harassment allegations lodged against Mayor Bob Filner may be more far-reaching than previously reported.
There are now claims that the mayor’s advances toward women were directed not only at members of his staff and city employees.
The most recent woman to make allegations says she learned how forward Filner was at a monthly meet-and-greet event at city hall earlier this year.
The woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, says she met with the mayor to inform him of an important issue in her community. She says she waited in a line for more than an hour to do so.
When her turn came, she entered an enclosed cubicle where Filner sat at a desk next to mayoral staff member Willie Blair. The woman explained her complaints. A few minutes later, she says Filner told Blair to leave the cubicle.
“After he excused Blair, he told me that he thought I was a very attractive woman and asked if I would go out with him,” says the woman in a July 14 email.
“I thought he was making a joke and told him that I knew he had a very attractive fiancée. He then repeated that he would like to go out with me. He never acknowledged my comment about his fiancée. He then said he would like to kiss me. I did not acknowledge him. He leaned over and kissed me anyway. I got up and left.”
The woman says she told some friends about the incident but chose to not file a formal complaint. She decided to come forward after hearing allegations from other women.
The statement is the first detailed account to come to light since attorneys Cory Briggs and Marco Gonzalez and former councilmember Donna Frye came forward with the allegations in letters to Filner and at a July 11 press conference.
One day later, on July 12, Filner issued a statement, agreeing to cooperate with investigators from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission did not respond to questions about whether investigators look into harassment charges from constituents.
Update: The woman provided attorney Cory Briggs with a sworn affidavit, according to a story by KPBS.
"This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the woman's statement. Her quote about her friends remembering how upset she was was added after being asked whether she told anyone about the incident."