San Diego to pay $99,000 to settle lawsuit against ex-Mayor Bob Filner

The city of San Diego agreed to pay $99,000 on Tuesday to settle one of five unresolved sexual battery and harassment lawsuits against former Mayor Bob Filner.

The payment, which the City Council unanimously approved, ends a federal lawsuit filed by wounded Marine veteran Katherine Ragazzino and her nurse, Michelle Tyler.

It also resolves a related claim by the U.S. Navy for reimbursement of medical services Tyler received in connection with Filner’s alleged misconduct.

“With today’s action, San Diego is one step closer to putting this dark period in our history behind us,” City Atty. Jan Goldsmith said.

The suit alleges that Filner tried to exchange political help for sexual favors during a June 2013 meeting at City Hall and offered to lobby for veterans services for Ragazzino if Tyler agreed to be seen with him in public.

In addition, the suit says Filner improperly rubbed Tyler’s arm, and that Ragazzino suffered emotional distress when Tyler told her about Filner’s conduct.

In court documents, Filner’s attorney said any touching of Tyler was not done with force or violence and was not of a sexual nature.

The city settled two other lawsuits against Filner in February 2014 for a total of $348,000, which included covering Filner’s defense attorney costs as required under his agreement to resign from office in August 2013 because of the scandal.

Those suits were filed by Irene McCormack Jackson, who had served as the mayor’s communications director, and Peggy Shannon, who operated an information kiosk at City Hall.

Jackson got $250,000 and the city reimbursed Filner for $98,000 in attorney’s fees. Shannon, who has died since her settlement, got a public apology from the city and the council declared Feb. 24, 2014, “Peggy Shannon” day.

Four other suits are still unresolved, a Goldsmith spokesman said.

The lawsuits represent less than half of the nearly 20 women who publicly accused Filner in 2013 of groping them and making inappropriate remarks of a sexual nature.

Filner agreed to resign and pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery and one count of felony false imprisonment. He spent three months under house arrest and is on probation.

Garrick is a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @UTDavidGarrick