CLAIMS FROM THE MAYOR’S LAWYER OVER LACK OF TRAINING ON HARASSMENT RAISE CREDIBILTY DOUBTS

[nadinbrzezinski]

Last edited Sat Aug 3, 2013, 02:01 PM - Edit history (1)

August 2, 2013 (San Diego)— Amid mounting sexual harassment accusations against Mayor Bob Filner, including a civil lawsuit, on Wednesday Filner’s lawyer tried to place all the blame on the City. In a letter to the city Harvey C. Berger writes “The City has a legal obligation to provide sexual harassment training to all management level employees within six months of hire.”

He also claimed in the letter that the “trainer for the City unilaterally cancelled and never rescheduled such training for the Mayor.”

http://media.10news.com/image/Harvey_Berger_letter.pdf

But later, Voice of San Diego revealed, “Former city Chief Operating Officer Jay Goldstone said Filner’s office canceled several training sessions, which would have covered payroll, benefits and other employee and management roles and responsibilities, because the mayor’s office said it didn’t have time for them.”

http://voiceofsandiego.org/2013/07/31/sources-mayors-office-canceled-harassment-related-training-sessions/

Let me add the two concluding paras

Granted, Mayor Filner has not been found guilty of harassment as of now. But he has been accused by nine different women. Plus he admitted to disrespectful and intimidating behavior towards women sufficiently serious to persuade him to check himself into a rehab program as an in-patient for therapy.

To contend that Filner was unaware that sexual harassment is illegal, or that he didn’t know forced kisses or asking a staff woman to work without underwear are inappropriate (if such claims prove true), stretches credulity to the breaking point.

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/13718

Yup, questions and answers. And Bates, the Congressman he worked for before going to Congress, did similar stuff and lost his seat.

Note to hosts, this is my article

[Rex]

1. So if I rob a house

and get caught, can I claim that no one ever gave me a 'training video' on how to be a moral person? Anyone think a judge would buy it?

[giftedgirl77]

5. Oh what a world we would live in if that

were the case. But you are correct ignorance of the law isn't a defense for committing the criminal act. How many times has someone been pulled over for speeding & tried to use the defense that the didn't know the legal limit?

[Rex]

7. Guilty.

I've done that.

[giftedgirl77]

13. I would think everyone has at some

point. If this guy really wants to argue that he didn't know it was considered sexual harassment/assault to grab someone's ass, shove his tounge down their throat, or lick them on the face like an obnoxious st Bernard well then is going to have bigger issues than being a crusty old sexual predator.

[Rex]

15. I agree and he surely realizes by now how insulting it is

to the average thinking person, that we would be so stupid as to believe a 'training video' was needed to be shown for him to magically 'get' that unwanted advances of any kind are considered sexual harassment.

Like some light would go on in his head...which also beggars the question - has he ALWAYS been sexually harassing women? Since he 'didn't know any better?'

[giftedgirl77]

20. If we just go off all of the women

who have come forward & take their statements at face value then I would say this guy gets his rocks off by pushing the limits of acceptable behavior & most likely is a serial offender.

The douche has probably been doing this for decades & his behavior finally caught up to him.

[Rex]

22. Hope he gets into all kinds of legal trouble.

Let him be a poor perv. Maybe make him worry about hunger and not have time to harass innocent women.

[giftedgirl77]

23. Agreed...

Some of his acts could be considered criminal. However, given the statute of limitations that may too late to consider. Hopefully, the will be able to do something to make him accountable.

[GiaGiovanni]

24. Yes, even if you purposefully missed the training video several times!

"Filner’s office canceled several training sessions"

Sounds like Filner didn't want to take the training sessions at all.

[Rex]

61. Ya I think he needs to go find work elsewhere.

Maybe behind bars making license plates.

[Igel]

2. That's just embarrassing. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. The saga is getting bad

But what Laura Fink said right now on msnbc is very correct...for the most part none of the women have been questioned or anything like that. We might be seeing a paradigm change.

She also said what I concluded a white ago, he's abusing the office.

[valerief]

4. I doubt the city provided toilet training either. I'd hate to see where the mayor shat.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. The irony is that he voted for the legislation

Making this behavior illegal. Section 201 is clear (yes, I read it) it's illegal.

It was passed due to his boss mostly, congressman Bates, driven out due to the same. It was the first bill he voted on

[GiaGiovanni]

25. So does voting for the legislating count as him knowing the content?

Can he claim he didn't have the training if he voted for it?

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Ignorance of any law is not an excuse

I just find it highly ironic.

[GiaGiovanni]

27. Oh, it's more than ironic

Anyone know where our dear mayor is doing his rehab?

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. I will, unlike him, respect his privacy

In that respect. Though the office of the City Attorney does...deadline for deposition is this coming Friday.

[GiaGiovanni]

30. Ah....so you know!

Just one thing: how much are the taxpayers on the hook for?

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. No I don't, and even if I did

I would respect his privacy.

As to how much we are on the hook, my understanding is the city is not paying for it.

[GiaGiovanni]

33. So he's paying for it himself?

?

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. That is my understanding

But it is clear as mud. It could be covered by a few health programs, ranging from city, to his House healthcare system as mental health.

[GiaGiovanni]

37. This is info I want to know.

We should not have to pay for this slimebag.

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. He is not paying for it

Last edited Sun Aug 4, 2013, 08:52 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.10news.com/news/mayor-filner-begins-2-week-absence-for-therapy-08042013

Mind you, mental health is something I want to see insurance cover..no questions asked.

[GiaGiovanni]

42. His insurance covers it.

We pay for that insurance?

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. He has insurance for life as a member of congress ret.

And as I said before, I have zero issue paying for mental health.

[GiaGiovanni]

47. I don't believe it's a mental illness

He's just into the power of it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

48. What's been described, lack of social boundary control,

It could very well be. Regardless, hippa, and all..we will never learn diagnosis.

[GiaGiovanni]

49. Sigh

So what else is going on in SD?

(And have you heard anything about that weird thing in Venice Beach last night?)

[nadinbrzezinski]

50. Is there anything else going on in this town?

And yes, I read it.

Most of the other news here are the usual medium town crap, if it bleeds it leads and cool weather for August, including May Haze and June Bloom

[GiaGiovanni]

51. Yeah, the weather's been nice

Are we losing tourist dollars to it?

[nadinbrzezinski]

52. Don't know, right now listening to a structure

Fire in the Far East of the county

[GiaGiovanni]

53. House? Business?

?

[nadinbrzezinski]

54. House...they are going fully defensive

(Letting it burn) and protecting other structures and brush.

It is a very poor area of the county. Thankfully it is empty.

[GiaGiovanni]

55. Wonder if it was in foreclosure

I'm assuming it's more rural.

[nadinbrzezinski]

56. In that area...it is really poor

And very rural. My concern is if it goes into the brush and takes off. There is still brush in that area.

[GiaGiovanni]

57. That's was on my mind too

How is it going?

[nadinbrzezinski]

58. Structure has collapsed

They got a lot of crap coming in

[GiaGiovanni]

59. Sad.

Has the fire increased in intensity?

[nadinbrzezinski]

60. Nope, thankfully it's going to be to bed in two hours

Last edited Mon Aug 5, 2013, 12:48 AM - Edit history (1)

That includes over haul...now the poor investigator...

And that is a good thing, I did not feel like driving 80 minutes or so to cover a night brush fire. Good news, nobody was home...nobody getting hurt is a good thing

And now they found a body...

[GiaGiovanni]

62. A body?

From the house?

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. Yeah, unfortunately due to extended response times

(It is quite rural), they do have more people perish in house fires in the back country.

[GiaGiovanni]

64. That's so sad.

I thought no one was home.

[nadinbrzezinski]

65. do did the Fire Department

this is not uncommon sadly, if you listen to scanners (due to work these days I do actually more than when I used to be a medic)... regularly.

[GiaGiovanni]

67. I'll bet they regret just letting the house burn

Any word on who the person is?

[nadinbrzezinski]

68. two to three weeks

and when they got on scene, again... delayed response times, it was already fully engulfed.

It is truly a sad thing... but likely the person was already dead

[GiaGiovanni]

69. Ah well

They also have to find the cause of the fire.

[nadinbrzezinski]

70. Bomb Arson, coroners and Sheriffs are part of the investigation

It could be many things... and every time they find a body, all this is deployed... so they are looking at arson, murder, even cigarette in bed.

http://www.10news.com/news/body-discovered-in-structure-fire-in-boulevard-flames-rip-through-home-garage-080513

[Whisp]

16. lol.

that's it, right on the mark.

the idiot has to get training to learn not to grab women's asses and stick his ugly fucking tongue in an unwanted mouth?

wtf.

[msongs]

8. so has this guy been convicted of any crime or is this just a media lynching? nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. So you think the media made it up?

Plus he admitted to most of this in his apology to the city, and later in his statement where he told us he is going to therapy starting on Monday. (Which legally will haunt him)

And we are not even covering the other two scandals. The Feds are looking at play to pay...seriously, and the second...he mostly put it to bed.

[geek tragedy]

19. Dumbest comment of the day, on the entire Internet. nt

[msanthrope]

46. That's really saying something, too, because it's the President's birthday, and I've read some shit-

stupid posts from the Birthers.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. I will have to ask...are the now ten women

http://www.10news.com/news/10th-woman-comes-forward-to-accuse-mayor-bob-filner-of-harassment-08032013

Making this up?

[GiaGiovanni]

29. At the moment, 9 women have come forward to tell their stories

One has Gloria Alred in her corner.

Ordinarily, I would take this kind of thing with a grain of salt, especially since San Diego politics are so "old boy" (read: Republican), but when Donna Frye, whom I greatly respect, came out and urged the mayor to resign, I took notice. Frye is known for her ethics and for her environmentalism (she and her husband were pro-surfers and really do care about the state of the ocean). Frye's the real deal and should have been mayor herself, a number of years ago, but lost on a technicality as a write-in.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. 10 women, we are up to ten

[GiaGiovanni]

34. Good Lord. Who is the 10th?

And when did she emerge?

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. Yesterday, channel 10 has it

[GiaGiovanni]

38. Will look.

[kestrel91316]

40. So, you think all 9 women are lying and the poor guy is telling the truth?

What, then, would be his reason for going into rehab for a supposed behavioral problem??

[LanternWaste]

66. Unfortunately, I imagine many people are capable of seeing only two extremes,

Unfortunately, I imagine many people are capable of seeing only two extremes, and are unable to express themselves without the use of melodrama.

I do hope they begin to read more in their lifetimes...

[Buns_of_Fire]

9. It sounds to me like he didn't need any training in sexual harassment.

He appears to have done fine in that category, all by his sleazy self, using his natural God-given abilities.

Damned shame someone didn't whup him upside the head, though, when he started that crap with them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I think we are starting to see a paradigm change

Regarding tolerating this crap

[grantcart]

12. Frankly I question whether or not he is competent to drive a motor vehicle.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. I would not go that far

But I gotta start to question the local political establishment...in the last 20 years, even with all his ugly warts, Jerry Sanders was the only mayor to end his two terms...

[spanone]

17. mr filner needs to be separated from any semblance of public office immediately

training sessions my ass.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. I will add the concluding paragraphs here

Granted, Mayor Filner has not been found guilty of harassment as of now. But he has been accused by nine different women. Plus he admitted to disrespectful and intimidating behavior towards women sufficiently serious to persuade him to check himself into a rehab program as an in-patient for therapy.

To contend that Filner was unaware that sexual harassment is illegal, or that he didn’t know forced kisses or asking a staff woman to work without underwear are inappropriate (if such claims prove true), stretches credulity to the breaking point.

Yup, I had lots of fun reading the first bill he ever voted on while in Congress too.

My dear Congress Critters, take a cue from California. They are dense, but easier to read

[pintobean]

39. Filner with Weiner

Uh... never mind.

[hrmjustin]

44. Wow, just wow!

Cant believe his lawyer said this.

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. That is what sent us looking.

Hey, I learned there is an office of compliance in the US Congress. I guess useful, after this saga, for trivial pursuit.