Community Corner

Issue: Has Mayor Filner Reached Tipping Point with Lawsuit and Accuser?

"I've known Irene a long time, and if she says it, it is the truth," one former U-T colleague said of mayor's accuser in sex harassment case.

When Irene McCormack Jackson came forward Monday to accuse Mayor Bob Filner of making “crude and disgusting comments,” it changed the odds on her former boss's chances of survival.

McCormack, backed by famed women’s right lawyer Gloria Allred, is suing the mayor for unspecified damages. And she says she has witnesses to confirm her claims.

She also has former U-T San Diego colleagues vouching for her veracity.

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“Anyone who knows Irene, knows her integrity and her inability to accept injustice at any level,” said one former U-T reporter, writing in an email newsletter .

Said another:  “I admired her professionalism and work ethic when we worked together at the Union-Tribune, and I admired her poise at the press conference today.”

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And a third: “I've known Irene a long time, and if she says it, it is the truth. I suspect (and hope) her example will encourage other women to come forward.”

Meanwhile, Filner has been forbidden from meeting alone with women in City Hall.

Will Filner stand alone at trial?  Or will he step down as mayor amid the greater pressure brought by a named accuser and a detailed lawsuit?  Share your thoughts in the comments.


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