The great grandmother who came forward on Thursday to accuse San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of sexual harassment said at a news conference that he forcefully kissed her and made inappropriate comments on several occasions.
Peggy Shannon, 67, appeared at a news conference Thursday afternoon alongside attorney Gloria Allred. She and Allred detailed the harassment that allegedly spanned months while Shannon was working part-time at City Hall's senior citizens service desk.
These are the allegations:
- Filner made flirtatious comments to Shannon on his way in and out of City Hall.
- Filner approached Shannon and suddenly hugged her and kissed her on her lips without her permission.
- Filner repeatedly approached Shannon's desk and asked her to feel his hands. When she declined, he would grab her hands and say, "See? My hands are smooth."
- Filner asked Shannon if he could see her socially on the weekends. She declined. Filner was also engaged at this time.
- Filner approached Shannon and asked her, "Do you think I could go 8 hours straight?" Peggy replied, "Are you kidding me?" to which Filner said, "No, I could go 8 hours."
- When a male coworker walked by Shannon's desk and said hello, Filner countered with, "No, that's my girl."
- In July, the day after Filner released a video apology regarding the sexual harassment claims made by other women, he allegedly walked by Shannon's desk, put his finger to his mouth, and said "Shhh."
Allred and Shannon are calling on Filner to resign, which he has so far refused to do in the face of harassment allegations from a growing number of women. There is now an effort underway to recall him.
Filner is facing a lawsuit from his former director of communications, Irene McCormack Jackson. Shannon has not filed a lawsuit against him, but she has lodged a complaint with the city's Equal Employment Investigations Office.
Allred said that more women have approached her with harassment allegations against Filner, but not all have been willing to come forward publicly.
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