San Francisco Official Faces Scrutiny Over Mental Health Leave Amid Legal Threats

San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder’s recent hospitalization for a mental health crisis occurred just weeks after City Attorney David Chiu alerted city officials about the illegal disclosure of a confidential memo. Chiu cautioned that such a breach could lead to investigations, disciplinary actions, or even removal from office.

Speculation has been rife following reports that Fielder considered resigning after her hospitalization last week. This development has fueled various theories about what might have led the first-term supervisor to miss City Hall meetings for weeks before seeking medical care. Fielder, however, has decided to postpone any decision regarding her resignation.

Fielder’s team attributed her hospitalization to an “acute personal health crisis” and took to Instagram to request privacy while the Mission District supervisor takes time to recover.

In a letter dated February 13, Chiu warned city officials of “serious ramifications” for the unauthorized leak of legal counsel regarding the contentious “RESET Center.” This facility is designed to provide a safe space for those under the influence of drugs to recover under supervision from law enforcement and healthcare professionals. The legal memo was leaked to the local publication, Mission Local.

“A recipient of the memorandum either shared it directly with a Mission Local reporter or allowed them to photograph each page,” Chiu stated. “The exposure of our confidential legal counsel could have severe implications for the City, potentially resulting in expensive litigation.”

Chiu emphasized that “any individual responsible for disclosing the memorandum could face significant consequences, including disciplinary action, termination for employees, or removal from office for elected officials.”

Officials in Fiedler’s office did not respond to The Post’s request for comment on whether the city’s internal investigation may have played a role in Fielder’s condition, and the supervisor could not be reached. Feng Han, a staffer who served as Fielder’s spokesperson, stopped working in her office on March 12, according to a report by the San Francisco Standard.

Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for the city attorney, acknowledged an investigation has been launched but declined to share details.

“We initiated an investigation into the unlawful disclosure of attorney-client privilege information,” Kwart told The Post. “We did not initiate an investigation into any one supervisor or office.”

Three days before Chiu scolded supervisors, Mission Local published a story detailing how the city attorney’s office had offered legal advice warning that Mayor Daniel Lurie’s proposed “sobering center” in the South of Market area may violate state laws and presents a “very high legal risk.”

The legal guidance noted that the law required a high threshold for compliance in giving people high on drugs a safe and accommodating space to get sober, and attempts to detain people would not be legal.

However, the letter also noted that law enforcement intended to arrest anyone who would leave the facility voluntarily. 

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The same day Mission Local ran that story, supervisors signed off on the mayor’s sobering center in a 9-2 vote, with Fielder being one of the two dissenting supervisors.

In a social media post, Supervisor Matt Dorsey announced he would introduce a censure motion against any city officials found to be responsible for the leak.

It’s unclear whether the stress of a city investigation into the leaked memo may have contributed to Fielder’s condition. 

However a source with knowledge of the situation told The Post that the most likely scenario if someone were found responsible for the leaked memo is a city Ethics Commission fine of up to $5,000.

“On matters of her personal health, we respectfully ask the press to give [Fielder] the privacy and space necessary for healing, and not to report on unsubstantiated rumors,” Fielder’s staff said in a statement posted to Instagram. 

“We urge everyone to treat this situation with the same respect and sensitivity as they would if she were recovering from any other medical emergency.”

The letter was signed by three members of Fielder’s staff who vowed to “remain dedicated to meeting the needs of our constituents, neighbors, and community members.”