Off the hook? Judge tentatively dismisses sexual harassment lawsuit against Fletcher

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A San Diego Superior Court judge has tentatively dismissed a civil lawsuit alleging sexual harassment against former County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, according to newly released court documents. Does this mean he's off the chopping block?

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2023 by former Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) employee Grecia Figueroa, accused Fletcher of sexual misconduct, harassment and retaliation during his time as MTS board chair. Fletcher has consistently denied the allegations, though the case prompted his resignation from public office and has since became a flashpoint in San Diego politics.

In a tentative ruling on Thursday, Aug. 7, Judge Matthew Braner seemingly sided with the former county supervisor's legal team, stating in court documents that the plaintiff's complaint lacked sufficient legal grounds. Additionally, the judge pointed out that Figueroa had destroyed evidence related to the case, including text messages and even a voice recording.

According to the Superior Court's Public Affairs Office, a motions hearing, scheduled for 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, remained on the calendar despite the tentative ruling.

"If the parties do not appear or have no objections, the tentative becomes the final ruling automatically," explained an official with the Public Affairs Office. "The parties may still appear to give arguments and the judge may make adjustments to the final ruling following the hearing or take it under submission for a later decision."

The official also explained that it's common for civil cases to have a tentative ruling published by 4 p.m. the day before a hearing.

FOX 5/KUSI reached out to both Figueroa and Fletcher for comment. While the defendant has not yet provided a response, the plaintiff pointed to statements she made in Friday’s hearing.

For instance, Figueroa said, ”At this point I have complied with discovery, I have sat for more than 25 hours of deposition, produced ten thousand messages between my friend and I have turned over medical records and personal records, and nothing was deleted with the intent to hide anything. In fact I wish I had some of the missing evidence because I think it could be helpful to my case.”

In other comments made in court, the plaintiff also stated, “And if I never get the chance to testify in court, I want to say this: What I understood the day that Nathan Fletcher ended his deposition was that this lawsuit, and the courage that it took to bring it forward, and the women that also spoke up have already helped save many people from experiencing the same abuse of power, and that is something no one can take away.”

According to Figueroa, she's now planning to appeal the decision.