Morning Report: Fletcher’s Accuser Files Complaint Against His Wife
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Nathan Fletcher’s accuser is asking a court to protect her from his wife, Lorena Gonzalez.
Grecia Figueroa filed a civil harassment restraining order request against Gonzalez on Monday, just days after Fletcher made his first public appearance since the abrupt end of his political career in 2023, when Figueroa accused him of sexual harassment.
A judge on Sept. 15 rejected Figueroa’s request for a temporary restraining order against Gonzalez and instead set a hearing for Oct. 7, court documents show.
“Ms. Gonzalez has engaged in sadistic and malicious harassment against me,” Figueroa’s complaint reads. “Her conduct is not mere commentary; it is an obsessive fixation aimed to disrupt every aspect of my life.”
The former Metropolitan Transit System employee sued Fletcher for sexual harassment and sexual assault in 2023. Last month, a judge dismissed her lawsuit. Figueroa is now asking a judge to prevent Gonzalez from contacting her, referencing her online and to remove – but not delete – all previous public posts about her.
Figueroa alleges that Gonzalez “wants blood” and planned to “go nuclear” against Figueroa.
Gonzalez is president of the California Federation of Labor Unions and a former state assemblymember. She responded.
“This woman aggressively sought out my husband for years, bragged about wanting to wreck our marriage so she could have him, lied about him and me in a series of now discredited lawsuits with the specific stated intention to ruin his career and reputation, cause me harm and bankrupt our family,” Gonzalez said in a statement on Tuesday.
Gonzalez added that Figueroa “continues to try to manipulate the media in a pattern of harassment that will be dismissed as false and improper like everything else she has done.”
National City Rejects Controversial Fuel Depot, for Now
The National City Planning Commission on Monday rejected a proposed biofuels transfer station that would have brought increased rail and truck traffic to a neighborhood already burdened by high rates of asthma and other chronic conditions.
The proposal by a Texas-based energy company to use a 7.5-acre vacant lot on the city’s industrial west side to transfer ethanol and other biologically derived fuels from rail cars to big rig trucks drew heated opposition from a coalition of neighboring residents, community leaders and environmental advocates.
Following close to two hours of public comment by dozens of project opponents, commissioners voted 4-1 to reject it, saying it would endanger residents’ health and perpetuate a cycle of unwise development decisions in the city.
“National City is not a dumping ground,” said Planning Commissioner Randi Castle-Salgado.
20 Years of Impact: The Rise and Fall of a Poway Superintendent
In 2010, the Poway Unified school board chose a man named John Collins to lead the North County public school district. Collins had full support from board members and the teachers union and was awarded a hefty pay package.
The good vibes didn’t last long.
Voice of San Diego helped uncover a costly capital appreciation bond deal the district made in 2011 that contained just one little problem: The district would have to pay back roughly 10 times what it borrowed!
In the latest installment of our 20 Years of Impact series, we feature former Voice reporter Will Carless’ coverage of Collins’ disastrous bond scheme and the equally disastrous fallout.
Following Carless’ stories, residents called for Collins’ ouster and lawmakers changed state law to make sure similar deals would never happen again. Even the California Attorney General said part of the deal was illegal.
And there was more. Subsequent scrutiny of Collins’ pay package revealed unauthorized vacation cash-outs, longevity overpayments, “me-too” contract language, restraining orders sought on the district dime without board approval, credit card misuse and other issues.
The district fired Collins in 2016, the state credential commission revoked Collins’ credentials for “misconduct” and he faced four felony charges and up to seven years in prison. We catalogued the full story of his long fall from grace in August 2017.
In Other News
- San Diego County authorities last week seized two emaciated horses from a Rancho Santa Fe ranch that has prompted numerous complaints and investigations for animal neglect in recent years. Authorities said the investigation of ranch owner Debra Barkley had been referred to the District Attorney’s office. Barkley did not respond to requests for comment. (Union-Tribune)
- The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a series of safety measures to reduce traffic problems in the city’s Barrio neighborhood. Measures include new stop signs, crosswalks, flashing lights and a traffic circle. (NBC)
- Get out those umbrellas. Remnants of a tropical storm could bring up to half an inch of rain to some parts of San Diego County starting Wednesday, along with lightning and thunderstorms. (Union-Tribune)
- Staff at the Otay Mesa Detention Center placed 42 immigrant detainees in isolated cells last month, an eightfold increase from last year, according to inewsource. The number of detainees in isolated cells has spiked in the last three months. A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which contracts with a private company to run the detention center, declined to comment.
The Morning Report was written by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña and Jim Hinch. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
The post Morning Report: Fletcher’s Accuser Files Complaint Against His Wife appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
