This post first appeared in the Morning Report.
On Friday, Voice of San Diego revealed that an ex-sheriff’s deputy convicted of assaulting women had a new role as a chaplain counseling cops in crisis for a Christian nonprofit. Just days later, the organization announced it had cut ties with the man.
More than 20 women accused the ex-deputy, Ricky Fischer, of a range of abuses. They included stalking and groping and even forcing a woman who called the Sheriff’s Office for help after receiving domestic violence threats to perform oral sex on him. Fischer ultimately pleaded guilty to a half dozen offenses related to his assaults. San Diego County taxpayers footed the bill for the about $10 million paid out to victims in a civil settlement.
Even given that sordid background, the Christian Law Enforcement Fellowship, whose mission is to provide mentorship and counseling to police officers, decided to bring him on as a chaplain. On Tuesday, Jerry Hara, the organization’s president, released a statement apologizing for the decision and announcing Fischer was no longer affiliated with the nonprofit.
“In retrospect, we were overzealous in our desire to help him through his redemption journey. Regrettably, we did not give sufficient consideration for the unintentional damage we caused the victims, law enforcement agencies in the county, as well as the taxpayers,” Hara wrote in a statement.
The revelation that Fischer could be creeping back into public life in such a sensitive capacity outraged state Sen. Catherine Blakespear.
“When I saw your article, it literally made my blood boil,” Blakespear said.
“Law enforcement has tremendous authority that we give them to be able to enforce our laws. His violation of that for his own sexual gratification to force women into the horrible sexual assaults that he did, it’s beyond the pale,” she said. “The possibility that a sexual predator who coerced women while wearing the badge …that there would be some elevation of that man to give guidance to other officers in a spiritual realm, it was so egregious.”
Blakespear said the piece “kicked off a flurry of activity.” She contacted Sheriff Kelly Martinez, who she said shared her outrage with the decision. She also contacted the local delegation of state senators and assemblymembers and District Attorney Summer Stephan, all of whom committed to push CLEF to distance itself from Fischer.
Ultimately, though, it was Martinez who forced the organization to cut ties, Blakespear said. And though she’s relieved with the decision, she said she “could not even conceive of the judgment that went into the decision” to bring Fischer on in the first place.
“I’m glad that they made it right, but they shouldn’t have gotten themselves in this situation in the first place,” Blakespear said. “There needs to be a complete rejection of anything to do with him.”