San Diego — The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is asking a Superior Court judge to order former employee Grecia Figueroa to pay $775,943 in attorney fees and related costs. The request follows Figueroa’s 2023 lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and assault by former MTS chair Nathan Fletcher and claiming the agency failed to protect her.

Board members raise concerns

During a July public meeting, former Assemblymember Lori Saldaña questioned the board’s decision, noting that Figueroa now works a minimum‑wage job and is unlikely to afford the nearly $1 million demand. Two members of the board’s executive committee told Voice of San Diego they were not involved in the fee‑seeking decision.

City Councilmember Sean Elo‑Rivera, who also serves on the executive committee, said legal counsel advised board members not to comment because of pending litigation, and he himself was not part of the decision. He added, “It is incredibly important that all public agencies foster environments that protect their employees and never take actions that could discourage reporting sexual harassment and assault.”

County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe’s office similarly stated it was not involved in the fee request.

MTS legal position

In court filings from October 2025, MTS attorneys argued that Figueroa’s allegations were unfounded and that her termination was based solely on documented performance issues. The agency is seeking $683,556 for attorney fees and $92,387 for other costs.

Figueroa’s response

Figueroa contended that the fee request is a punitive attempt to silence her. She said the agency is trying to financially punish her for speaking out. Her attorney, John Holcomb, noted she is living paycheck to paycheck, earning $22 an hour in a new job after two years of unstable employment.

Legal background

The lawsuit began in March 2023, the same month former chair Fletcher resigned and later withdrew from a state Senate campaign to seek treatment for trauma and alcohol abuse. In August 2025, a San Diego Superior Court judge dismissed Figueroa’s claims against MTS, finding her firing was performance‑related, and later threw out the sexual harassment claim against Fletcher because evidence had been deleted. Figueroa also filed a civil harassment restraining order request against Fletcher’s wife, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, in September 2025.

Next steps

A hearing on MTS’s request for fee recovery is scheduled for Friday, August 28.

Original reporting: Voice of San Diego — read the source article.