Mayor Heather Fargo called Wednesday for police to reopen their investigation into a Sacramento High School teacher's report last year that a 17-year-old student had told him she was inappropriately touched by the charter school's founder, Kevin Johnson.
It was Fargo's first public comment about the sexual misconduct allegations that have dogged Johnson's political campaign this spring. Johnson, an Oak Park native and former NBA star, is one of five candidates challenging Fargo in the June 3 election.
The mayor said she spoke to Police Chief Rick Braziel after reading an article in Tuesday's Bee. The newspaper reported that a draft legal document indicates Johnson made a $230,000 confidential settlement to a Phoenix teenager who claimed he molested her in 1995.
"Given that article," Fargo said Wednesday, "I've asked the police chief to look into reopening the Sac High investigation regarding potential witness tampering. I told him you need to look at it again in light of the new information."
No charges against Johnson were filed in either Phoenix or Sacramento. Johnson's campaign told local television news stations Wednesday that information from the draft settlement documents in the Phoenix case was inaccurate, but did not specify on television or in response to The Bee's questions which facts they were disputing.
Developer Mark Friedman, lead fundraiser for Johnson's campaign, said Fargo's call for further police investigation is "completely outrageous" and an abuse of political power.
"It reminds me of Vladimir Putin using the police force to look into political opponents," Friedman said.
Johnson is Fargo's most serious challenger in the race, but Fargo said Wednesday that her push to reopen the investigation against him is not politically motivated.
"I haven't discussed these allegations at forums or campaign events, and I don't plan to," she said. "But, as mayor of Sacramento, the 2007 investigation happened on my watch, and I think these questions need to be addressed."
After completing their investigation last May, Sacramento police, who officially work for the city manager, not the mayor, found the allegation against Johnson without merit because the girl had recanted. Before police were called in, Johnson's personal attorney and business partner, Kevin Hiestand, had questioned the girl.
Hiestand also figured in the 1996 Phoenix police investigation. The 159-page police report of that case included a conversation between Hiestand and the 16-year-old's therapist, who had reported the girl's allegations to authorities.
Following up on Fargo's request, police officials plan to meet with the Sacramento District Attorney's Office next week to discuss the Sacramento High case, according to police spokesman Sgt. Matt Young.
However, Young said, the investigation "remains closed," adding that the meeting was not called because investigators feel it should be reopened, but in response to "the inordinate amount of public and media interest this investigation has brought."
"We need to put this behind us," Young said. "We have legitimate investigations we need to look into. We have homicides. … We have domestic violence cases that we need to allocate our time to."
A spokeswoman for District Attorney Jan Scully said that so far there is no meeting scheduled between Scully and Braziel to discuss the Kevin Johnson case. "And there is no meeting to discuss Mayor Fargo's request, period," said Shelly Orio, communications and media officer.
Orio noted that the one-year statute of limitations has passed on the original allegation of inappropriate touching at Sacramento High, which was classified as a potential misdemeanor. Felonies have a longer statute of limitations.
Sacramento police officials said detectives spent one day investigating the allegation by the student that Johnson had touched her breast before the officers concluded the story had no merit.
Detectives talked to three people: Erik Jones, the teacher who made the initial report, the girl's mother and the girl. According to Braziel, the girl was "disappointed in behavior at the school," and Johnson comforted her in public view by placing his hand on her shoulders.
Call The Bee's Dorothy Korber at (916) 321-1061 or Terri Hardy at (916) 321-1073. Staff writers Ryan Lillis and Mary Lynne Vellinga contributed to this report.
