Former San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher has filed a defamation complaint against Grecia Figueroa, who sued him early last year for alleged sexual assault.
Fletcher’s 20-page cross complaint against Figueroa states that the former Metropolitan Transit System public relations specialist not only knew she was “never sexually assaulted, battered or harassed” by him, but also “pursued him” for more than a year and “consented to their interactions.”
“At all relevant times, she possessed evidence showing that she desired oral sex with him (which Mr. Fletcher declined), that she ‘missed his lips,’ practiced ‘not thinking about kissing his face,’ and wished he was physically with her in bed,” the complaint alleges.
It accuses Figueroa of deliberately manipulating the public and news media sentiment, primed for sympathy toward “actual survivors of sexual violence.” It also contends that she tried to force Fletcher into paying her millions of dollars and that when he refused, she set out to destroy his reputation, career and harm him and his family emotionally and financially.
Fletcher seeks punitive damages and the cost of attorney’s fees.
In a statement, Figueroa called Fletcher’s cross complaint “absurd, meritless and another intimidation attempt to silence” her and “drag out the case.”
Figueroa’s allegations against Fletcher made headlines one year ago when she filed a lawsuit, accusing him of sexual assault, harassment and battery. She said Fletcher groped and kissed her.
She also said Fletcher’s position of power as MTS board chair left her feeling pressured to “reciprocate” his “advances,” for fear he would humiliate her and “destroy her career” if she angered him. She also claimed Fletcher leaned on MTS to fire her last year because of her accusations. An MTS-commissioned investigation released in January found the agency did not terminate Figueroa in retaliation for accusing Fletcher of sexual assault.
Soon after Figueroa sued Fletcher, he acknowledged “inappropriate behavior” toward her, sought treatment for alcohol abuse and PTSD stemming from his time in combat, and ended his campaign for state senate. He also resigned from the board of supervisors.
Fletcher’s cross complaint against Figueroa comes after a string of legal setbacks for her. She has parted ways with two law firms and is currently looking for legal representation. A judge in her case this week ordered her to preserve potential evidence on her electronic devices after lawyers for Fletcher accused her of deleting messages that would exonerate him.
Now, Fletcher's cross complaint alleges Figueroa is the one who initiated contact with him on Instagram in August 2021 by tagging him in a story. The suit includes screenshots of text messages to back up claims:
- Figueroa told Fletcher that she wouldn’t be communicating with him if she “felt uncomfortable.” And that when she learned Fletcher was home alone one day, she wrote to him that he “needed company.”
- Figueroa described her interactions with Fletcher as “actually fun.”
- Figueroa texted Fletcher, “What a night!” after she arrived home following an encounter with him in a stairwell that involved kissing.
- Figueroa “flirtatiously” invited him to “demonstrate anythinggggg” for her and bought him many gifts.
- After another kissing encounter in a room at MTS, Figueroa never expressed concern but instead followed up with a kissing emoji and wrote it was “nice to see (him)” and that her birthday was “a good one!” because of the interaction.
- And in December 2022, one week after Figueroa said she was assaulted by Fletcher, she stated in Spanish that she “wanted to eat him,” which the cross complaint says is a reference to wanting to perform oral sex on him. Fletcher alleges Figueroa later deleted the message.
Fletcher’s lawyer Sean McKaveney did not return a call seeking comment. A hearing in Figueroa’s sexual harassment suit against him is scheduled for next Friday.
