Melissa Harris-Perry, who filled in last night for Rachel Maddow on some MSNBC show I don’t usually watch, asked Filner’s new chief of staff if it was discriminatory to bar women from having private meetings with Mayor Filner. Eight women have come forward with detailed claims of harassment by the Mayor so far and a lawsuit against San Diego and the Mayor have been filed.
Wait, WHAT?!?
Filner’s COS Lee Burdick, a woman (not sure how that will work out…) responded:
the rule is a way to protect “both the mayor and the citizens of San Diego” and to insure that city business is “being done with the highest level of integrity.”
Burdick said she and the mayor developed the policy as a “reasonable and prudent business practice in light of the allegations being leveled against him.”
Does Harris-Perry think women ought to meet alone with Filner after these allegations have come out from highly credible, powerful San Diego women? Does she really think it’s discriminatory for the city attorney to try and protect women (and the Mayor, tbh) from possible continued harassment or harassment claims, not to mention future liability claims? I think she would be screaming very loudly if the city did not protect San Diego women from possible harassment and I suspect she would be pointing a finger if something were to happen and the city failed to protect the residents and employees, knowing these allegations are floating around.
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