Attorneys for a transgender woman say San Francisco officials dragged their feet after she reported being sexually assaulted by a sheriff’s deputy inside County Jail No. 2 last September, and they are now turning up the pressure. The legal team filed a formal claim this week, accusing the City and County of San Francisco and the SFPD of moving too slowly, even after the deputy was fired following a preliminary internal probe. The lawyers also say they have identified at least one additional potential victim and are preparing for possible civil litigation.
Attorneys file claim and press City Hall
According to KRON4, the attorneys lodged a claim against the City and County of San Francisco alleging that a sheriff’s deputy sexually assaulted their client in a bathroom at County Jail No. 2 in September 2025. Attorney Megan Burns told KRON4 that waiting for those in authority to take responsibility is not an option and called the months-long delay “a travesty.” The filing asks city officials to confront what the lawyers describe as a pattern of slow or incomplete responses when serious allegations are made against jail staff.
Sheriff’s office says deputy removed, then fired
Mission Local reported that the sheriff’s office labeled the incident “sexual misconduct” and first pulled the deputy from any inmate contact, then fired him after a preliminary internal investigation. The outlet said the alleged encounter took place in a bathroom at County Jail No. 2, the downtown lockup at Seventh and Bryant streets that houses most of the city’s women and transgender detainees. At the time, the sheriff’s office said it would turn over its findings to the District Attorney’s Office once its internal inquiry wrapped up.
SFPD cites active probe, lawyers point to charging gap
As reported by KRON4, SFPD has said the case is being diligently investigated, even as the attorneys point out that prosecutors have not filed criminal charges six months after the alleged assault was reported. The lawyers told KRON4 they have spoken with potential witnesses and worry that continued delays could cause evidence to go stale and memories to fade. Civil claims like the one they filed are often used as a precursor to a lawsuit when people seek damages or when a government entity denies relief.
Staffing crunch and oversight concerns in sex-crime cases
The slow pace alleged by the attorneys is landing in a system that has already been under scrutiny. The SF Standard reported last year that SFPD’s Special Victims Unit has faced historic staffing lows and a drop in referrals to the District Attorney’s Office. Advocates say those kinds of strains can stretch detectives thin and leave survivors wondering if their cases are being treated with urgency. Against that backdrop, some local groups argue it is no surprise when survivors and their lawyers feel they need to push for accountability outside the criminal process.
What the claim triggers next
Filing a claim with a public entity is a required first step before suing it in California. Under California Government Code § 911.2, a claim involving injury to a person generally must be submitted no later than six months after the cause of action accrues. California law gives cities and counties time to investigate and either accept or deny such claims. If a claim is denied, the person who filed it typically has a limited window to bring a lawsuit.
For now, the claim puts fresh scrutiny on conditions inside County Jail No. 2 and on how quickly police and prosecutors will move, if at all, toward criminal charges. The attorneys say they are prepared to pursue civil litigation if prosecutors decline to act, and community groups say they will be watching closely to see how the city responds in the coming weeks.
