San Diego County supervisor Jim Desmond on Monday was the first board member to call on Nathan Fletcher to resign immediately, dismissing allegations of sexual assault.

misconduct

t against the beleaguered supervisor detracts from important district matters.

“While this is a pending civil case, it is clear that Mr. Fletcher must immediately terminate his employment with County,” the Republican supervisor said in a statement.

a

statement in his newsletter, pointing out that Fletcher will

keep paying

his district salary and benefits for weeks while he is absent.

Fletcher said last week that he would resign

as of May 15

. from Desmond

makes statement

it

the

First

board member to call for Fletcher’s immediate departure

And

marking

S

a shift in governance

earlier

cautious response to the scandal.

Despite their partisan differences, the supervisors have typically maintained a collegial, pragmatic character

approximation

to policies ranging from pandemic response to public safety

. m

Most have taken a similarly cautious stance on Fletcher’s alleged misconduct.

Board Chairman Nora Vargas, a Democrat, s

Hi

d last week that she supported his resignation but did not urge him to expedite it. On Monday, she reiterated that the county would consider its options at the May 2 meeting, but declined to respond to questions about Desmond’s comments and the effective date of Fletcher’s resignation.

“Our board will follow the legal process provided by the charter and our board policies,” she said. “Together as a board, we will determine the best direction and move our province forward.”

Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer, a Democrat, and Joel Anderson, a Republican, did not respond to questions about Fletcher’s allegations, his firing, or Desmond’s call to resign now.

Neither Fletcher, his office, nor his attorney, Danielle Hultenius Moore, responded to questions Monday about Desmond’s statement, and Desmond did not respond to requests for additional comment.

Fletcher announced his plans to step down just days after he said he was taking medical leave due to mental health issues and ended his Senate campaign, and a day after filing a lawsuit accusing him of kissing and groping an employee of the Metropolitan Transit System as he led its board of directors.

in a video message posted on Twitter

,

Desmond discussed “a crazy and disappointing week in the province”, saying the middle of next month isn’t soon enough.

“Regulators don’t have the power to remove someone, but he shouldn’t be paid for by the taxpayer,” Desmond said.

Fletcher’s total annual salary as a supervisor is $275,235 before taxes, which includes salary, car allowance, and pension and insurance contributions, according to the county. That equates to $37,050 in total pay for the seven weeks from the start of his absence to the effective date of his resignation.

On March 26, Fletcher announced he would be entering treatment for alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder related to his childhood and combat experience in the Marine Corps. He said he was ending his campaign for the Senate, a race in which he had broad support from the Democratic establishment, but would return to his provincial position.

However, on Tuesday, a former MTS employee, Grecia Figueroa, filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Fletcher stalked her on social media, sent suggestive text messages, insisted on meeting her in private, and then kissed and groped her in a hotel stairwell and a MTS meeting room. She said she was fired on Feb. 6 in what she called retaliation, the same day Fletcher announced his bid to succeed Senator Toni Atkins,

the president of the senate by tem

which will face term limits in 2024.

bat recognized what he called “a terrible mistake in entering into consensual relations with someone outside my marriage”, but denied the sexual assault and harassment allegations.

Public reaction quickly shifted from an outpouring of support for his decision to seek mental health treatment to disgust at the allegations and his delay in acknowledging them.

“It is clear to me that this was a ruse to cover up infidelity and the other alleged crimes,” Desmond said in his online video, adding that he did not believe the public should foot the bill for medical treatment related to his crisis . Fletcher’s actions are an unnecessary distraction and he should resign immediately.

Supervisors will decide how to fill the vacancy at their regular board meeting on May 2, Vargas said last week.

They can choose to designate a replacement, hold a special election to fill the seat, or a combination of those options.

Brennan writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.