Third harassment allegation leveled against Bob Filner

SAN DIEGO, July 24 (UPI) -- A school psychologist Wednesday became the third woman this week to publicly accuse San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of sexual harassment.

The new accusation came as the National Women Veterans Association of America canceled Filner's scheduled keynote speech at its Aug. 30 awards dinner, KPBS-TV, San Diego, reported.

Morgan Rose, a psychologist in the San Diego Unified School District, told KPBS she met with Filner in January 2009 -- when he was a member of the U.S. House -- to enlist his support for America's Angel Campaign, intended to advocate for children's well-being -- and he called her at her home afterward to ask for a private meeting.

"He asked for this meeting because he wanted to know, in his vernacular, 'who in the hell you are,'" Rose told the TV station.

During a meeting at a restaurant, she said Filner told her he had brought her organization to the attention of Michelle Obama and the U.S. first lady wanted to know more about how it might be helpful in combating violence and helping military families.

However, she said, Filner stared at her, said, "Your eyes have bewitched me," and changed seats so he was sitting next to her. She said he tried to "move my face towards his to kiss me on the mouth." She turned her head and asked him to go back to his other seat, but he told her he wouldn't move until she kissed him.

Also Wednesday, National Women Veterans Association of America President Tara Jones said she had canceled Filner's keynote speech because it "interferes with the moral compass of my organization."

Filner had been scheduled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Recognition Award at the August gala, officially named the San Diego Mayor's Benefit Gala, KPBS said.

Laura Fink, the owner of political consulting firm Fink & Hernandez Consulting LLC, told KPBS Tuesday Filner touched her inappropriately while she worked as deputy campaign manager during his time in Congress. Fink said Filner patted her posterior during a fundraising event in San Diego in 2005.

Fink said she was impressed by the courage it took for Filner's former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, to come forward Monday with allegations she had been held in the "Filner headlock" and was "dragged around like a rag doll."

Attorney Gloria Allred filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the city of San Diego on behalf of McCormack Jackson.

Fink said she wanted to come forward with her story to "make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again."

She said a person attending the fundraiser told Filner Fink "has worked her ass off for you." Filner allegedly told Fink to turn around, at which point he patted her posterior and laughed, saying, "No, it's still there!"

Fink said she was "in disbelief that it could have happened" and didn't come forward at the time because she was worried about advancing her career and believed Filner would hold a grudge.