Where was Bob Filner educated in May 1958?
Bob Filner Robert Earl Filner ( born September 4 , 1942 ) is an American former politician who was the 35th Mayor of San Diego from December 2012 through August 2013 , when he resigned amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment . He later pleaded guilty to state charges of false imprisonment and battery . He is a member of the Democratic Party . Filner was previously the U.S . Representative for , and the 50th , serving from 1993 to 2012 . He was chair of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs from 2007 to 2011 . Early life , education , and academic career . Filner was born in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood . He is Jewish , the son of Sarah F . and Joseph H . Filner . His father was a labor union organizer , U.S . Army veteran and later international metal trader . He attended Cornell University , where he worked on the Cornell Daily Sun , a student newspaper , and took part in civil rights demonstrations . In June 1961 , after pulling into the bus station in Jackson , Mississippi as a Freedom Rider , Filner was arrested for disturbing the peace and inciting a riot . He refused to post bond for his release and remained incarcerated for two months . He graduated from Cornell in 1963 with a degree in chemistry , and earned his doctorate in history of science from Cornell six years later . While completing his PhD , he moved to San Diego , becoming a history professor at San Diego State University for more than 20 years . Early political career . Filner was long interested in politics . He worked for U.S . Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota in 1975 and for Minnesota Congressman Don Fraser in 1976 . He also worked for Congressman Jim Bates from the San Diego area in 1984 . His elective career began in 1979 , when his opposition to the closing of a neighborhood school led him to run for the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education , defeating a longtime incumbent . His back to basics approach to education won him wide praise , and his colleagues elected him president of the board in 1982 . He was elected to the San Diego City Council in 1987 and was reelected in 1991 ; his colleagues elected him Deputy Mayor of San Diego . U.S . House of Representatives . Elections . California gained seven seats after the 1990 census , and one of them was the 50th District in south San Diego ( renumbered the 51st District after the 2000 census ) . The district is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation , including much of San Diegos southern section , the cities of Chula Vista and National City and all of Imperial County . It includes most of Californias border with Mexico , except for the city of Imperial Beach . In 1992 , Filner ran in a five-way Democratic primary for the seat and won a narrow victory . One of his primary opponents was his former boss , Jim Bates , who had lost his seat in a sexual harassment scandal in 1990 and whose home had been drawn into the district . Another opponent was veteran state Senator Wadie Deddeh , who was term-limited . Filner defeated Deddeh by a narrow margin , with Bates finishing third place in the primary . The district was almost 40% Hispanic ( redistricting in 2000 made it 53% Hispanic ) and heavily Democratic , and his victory in November ( with 57 percent of the vote ) was a foregone conclusion . He was reelected nine times with no substantive Republican opposition . He ran unopposed in 1998 . He chose not to run for re-election to Congress in 2012 , opting instead to run for Mayor of San Diego . He resigned from the House of Representatives on December 3 , 2012 , in order to take office as Mayor of San Diego . Filner had a bitter rivalry with Juan Vargas , another Democratic politician who ran against Filner in the Democratic primary three times . Filner and Vargas accused each other of corruption . However , in the 2012 mayoral race , Vargas endorsed Filner for Mayor of San Diego and Vargas was elected to Filners seat in Congress . Tenure . Filner was a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus . He was also a member of the Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus and International Conservation Caucus . He was one of the 31 House Democrats who voted to not count the 20 electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 presidential election , despite Republican President George Bush winning the state by 118,457 votes . In 2008 , Filner sponsored a resolution , passed by the House of Representatives , in support of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day . While in congress , Filner was known for his combative personality , and for personally dealing with constituent issues . - Veterans issues Filner served on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and ascended to the chairmanship when the Democrats took over the House of Representatives after the 2006 election . As chairman , Filner advocated for funding for veterans benefits , increased spending on veterans healthcare , and a new GI bill for veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq . Filner stayed on as ranking Democrat on the committee after the Republicans retook the House in the 2010 election . - Filipino issues Filners district in south San Diego had one of the largest populations of Filipino Americans in the country , leading Filner to focus on issues relevant to the Philippines while in congress , especially Filipino veterans . Filners accomplishments included legislation allowing Filipino veterans to maintain a small stipend from the government if they moved back to the Philippines , burial benefits , and access to VA clinics . In 2009 Filner brokered a deal securing $198 million in pension benefits for Filipino veterans who had served for the United States in World War II in the form of a $15,000 lump sum payment as part of the 2009 stimulus bill . In February 2009 , Rep . Antonio Diaz filed a bill in the Philippine House of Representatives seeking to confer honorary Filipino citizenship on Filner and U.S . Senators Daniel Inouye , Daniel Akaka , and Ted Stevens for their role in securing the passage of this legislation . - Airline worker controversy On August 20 , 2007 , Filner was involved in an altercation with a United Airlines employee at Dulles International Airport after he became upset that his baggage had not yet arrived on a baggage carousel . Filner entered the baggage claim office and became irritated when the employee was busy helping another customer and asked the congressman to wait his turn . It was at this point that it is alleged that Filner attempted to enter the employee-only area of the office . He was asked to leave the area several times by airline employees but refused to do so until airport police were called in . Filner was on his way to visit troops in Iraq at the time of the incident . He released a statement saying suffice it to say now , that the story that has appeared in the press is factually incorrect and the charges are ridiculous . He was later charged with assault and battery . Filner pleaded guilty in an Alford plea to reduced charges of trespassing . The House Ethics Committee began a probe into the event , but it was later dropped . - Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Filner , along with several senior United States officials , argued that the Peoples Mujahedin of Iran , also known as the MEK , should have its designation as a terrorist group removed . Filner considered the MEK , a major member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran , an ally against the current Iranian regime . Filner accepted free trips , most recently in June 2013 to Paris , and paid engagements to speak in favor of delisting them as a terrorist organization . The U.S . Department of State lifted the MEKs designation as a terrorist organization as of September 28 , 2012 . Committee assignments . - Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure - Subcommittee on Aviation - Subcommittee on Highways and Transit - Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment - Committee on Veterans Affairs ( Ranking Member ) Mayor of San Diego . Election . Filner announced on June 8 , 2011 , that he would be a candidate for Mayor of San Diego in the 2012 election and would not run for re-election to Congress . In the primary on June 5 , 2012 , he placed second with 30.7% of the vote . He faced city councilmember Carl DeMaio in the November 2012 runoff election . Filner defeated DeMaio , 52.5% to 47.5% . Filner , age 70 , won as San Diegos first elected Democratic mayor since 1992 and only its second since 1971 . Tenure . In his first speech as mayor , Filner promised to focus on rebuilding the neighborhoods of San Diego , improving city services , increasing staffing for public safety , bringing jobs to the city , and developing stronger regional ties with Tijuana . In January 2013 , following a meeting between Filner and the San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access , Filner instructed the San Diego Police Department and city code compliance officers to stop enforcing codes against marijuana dispensaries and stop forwarding cases to the San Diego City Attorneys Office . In April 2013 , Filner proposed a new ordinance to restore permanent legal status to dispensaries , but the City Council rejected it and suggested that the City Attorney draft a new ordinance in its place . Meanwhile , federal agencies continued to raid and prosecute dispensaries within city limits . In February 2013 , Filner raised controversy by not authorizing funding of the Tourism Marketing District , a hotelier-run organization charged with promoting San Diego as a tourist destination that is funded by a 2 percent surcharge on hotel rooms . In 2012 , the San Diego City Council agreed to renew the District for 39 1/2 years , but outgoing mayor Jerry Sanders did not sign the agreement before leaving office . Filner publicly withheld his signature on the agreement , wanting a series of concessions that would raise hotel worker salaries , protect the City from liability , and direct more of the funds collected to be used by the City of San Diego . The District subsequently filed suit against the Mayor to enforce the agreement , but Judge Timothy Taylor ruled that Filner had the discretion not to sign . After this ruling , Filner and the hoteliers agreed to a compromise and Filner signed the contract . However , in late May 2013 Filner temporarily withheld payments to the District until it agreed to provide upfront funding for a centennial celebration for Balboa Park . 2013 allegations and resignation . Allegations of sexual harassment . On July 11 , 2013 , three of Filners long-time supporters held a press conference to call for Filners resignation as mayor , based on numerous unspecified but credible allegations that he had sexually harassed women . KPBS-FM said that it had been investigating reports of sexual harassment of female staff members for several months , and that the complaints included inappropriate comments , kissing and groping . Later that day Filner issued a video statement apologizing and saying that he was seeking professional help to change his behavior . The next day Filner told reporters that he had treated women poorly and sometimes intimidated them , but insisted that a fair and independent investigation would clear him of sexual harassment charges . On July 12 , Filners chief of staff , Vince Hall , announced his resignation , effective immediately . On July 24 , Filners new chief of staff Tony Buckles , his former congressional chief of staff , resigned after only 10 days on the job and was replaced by Lee Burdick , a woman who had been serving as deputy chief of staff . On July 15 , the same three former supporters held another press conference , describing in more detail charges by women who said they had been forcibly kissed , groped , and subjected to sexually suggestive comments by Filner ; the alleged but unidentified victims include a mayoral staffer , a campaign volunteer and a constituent . Filner repeated that he had done nothing wrong and would not resign . On July 22 , 2013 , attorney Gloria Allred announced at a press conference that her firm had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Filner on behalf of the mayors former communications director . By August 26 , 19 women had publicly claimed that Filner had sexually harassed them , including a retired admiral , a Marilyn Monroe impersonator who appeared at one of his fundraisers , a 67-year-old great-grandmother who worked for the city , a nurse who said Filner demanded a date in exchange for helping a Marine who had suffered a brain injury and PTSD during service in Iraq , and several female members of the U.S . armed forces who had been raped during their service . In the last two instances , Filners contact with the women stemmed from his position at the time as ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee . In the ensuing weeks , calls for Filners resignation came from Democratic U.S . senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer , representatives Susan Davis and Scott Peters , DNC chairwoman and U.S Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz , California State Assembly members Toni Atkins and Lorena Gonzalez , Nancy Pelosi , and all nine members of the City Council . On July 26 , 2013 , Filner announced that he planned to take a leave of absence to undergo two weeks of intensive therapy” starting August 5 . He started the treatment but ended it early on August 10 , according to his attorney . On July 29 , 2013 , Filner asked the city of San Diego to pay his legal fees for a sexual harassment lawsuit regarding his former communications director . The city council voted not to do so , and in fact to sue Filner for any costs incurred by the city due to claims filed against him and the city . The City Council later reversed itself as part of a negotiated agreement with Filner . Other issues . Federal , state and local investigators looked into several other issues involving Filner . One matter involved a trip he took to Paris with his then-fiancée in June 2013 ; questions had been raised about the nonprofit group that paid his expenses and the use of city credit cards to pay for his accompanying security detail . On another issue , FBI agents looked into a pair of proposed housing developments which Filner blocked with an administrative hold until the developers contributed money to certain city projects . Recall effort . In August 2013 two different groups started the process to mount a recall drive against Filner ; the two groups later combined their efforts . In order to force a recall election , they would have had to gather more than 100,000 signatures of city voters ( 15% of the votes cast in the most recent election ) within a 39-day window . On August 18 , 1,200 volunteers began collecting signatures . Less than a week after the signature drive began , Filner agreed to resign . The recall organizers wound down the effort , called for all petitions to be turned in so they could be counted and destroyed , and worked on preparing a final financial accounting . Resignation . On August 21 , 2013 , city attorney Jan Goldsmith said that Filner had reached an agreement with the city after three days of mediation . The City Council considered the agreement in a closed session on August 23 and voted 7-0 to accept Filners resignation . The resignation deal with the City Council limits Filners legal and financial exposure by providing a joint legal defense for him and the city for claims filed against him by current or former city employees , as well as paying up to $98,000 of his outside legal fees . Filner signed a letter of resignation that became effective at 5 p.m PDT August 30 , 2013 . City Council president Todd Gloria served as interim mayor , with limited powers , pending election of a new mayor . A special election was held on November 19 , 2013 ; since no candidate received a majority of the vote , a runoff election was held on February 11 , 2014 , wherein Kevin Faulconer was elected to be the next mayor . Conviction . On October 15 , 2013 , Filner pleaded guilty in San Diego Superior Court to three criminal counts filed against him by the California state attorney general , who took over the case after the San Diego County district attorney recused herself . The charges were one felony count of false imprisonment and two misdemeanor battery charges . The victims were identified as three Jane Does . He could have faced up to five years in prison , but a plea bargain was reportedly reached , under which he would be given three months of house arrest , three years probation , and partial loss of his mayoral pension . On December 9 , 2013 , the terms of the plea bargain were imposed at a sentencing hearing . The plea bargain would have prohibited him from ever seeking or holding public office again , but the judge reduced the prohibition so it applies only while he is on probation . He served a three-month term of house arrest which ended on April 6 , 2014 . In a 2016 interview , Filner denied all allegations of sexual harassment . Additional allegation in 2017 . On November 20 , 2017 , Rep . Diana DeGette ( D-Colo. ) alleged during an interview on MSNBCs Meet the Press Daily that Filner tried to force himself on her in an elevator . Personal life . Filner is divorced from his first wife , Barbara ( Christy ) Filner , a retired mediation specialist ; they have two adult children , a son and a daughter . Filner was later married to Jane Merrill , but they divorced in 2011 . At his first news conference after his election as mayor in 2012 , Filner introduced his fiancée , Bronwyn Ingram , a disability analyst who worked for the Social Security Administration . On July 8 , 2013 , Ingram announced by email to a group of her supporters that the engagement had been called off and the relationship was over . In a subsequent statement , Ingram cited Filners verbal abuse and blatant sexting as reasons for the split .