San Diego County paid about $10 million to settle Fischer abuse claims

The Christian Law Enforcement Fellowship, a nonprofit whose stated mission is to provide mentorship and counseling to police officers, said Tuesday that Fischer was no longer affiliated with the group. The separation came days after Voice of San Diego reported on Friday that the organization had brought the former San Diego County sheriff’s deputy on as a chaplain to counsel officers in crisis.

The organization’s president, Jerry Hara, released a statement apologizing for hiring Fischer and announcing that he was no longer affiliated with the nonprofit. The statement did not address how Fischer had been vetted or what the organization’s leaders knew about his criminal record at the time of his appointment.

The Voice of San Diego report detailed accusations from more than 20 women against Fischer, a former San Diego County sheriff’s deputy. The alleged abuses ranged from stalking and groping to one woman’s account that Fischer forced her to perform oral sex after she had contacted the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office for help responding to domestic violence threats against her.

Fischer ultimately pleaded guilty to roughly half a dozen offenses related to the assaults, according to the report by Voice of San Diego journalist Jakob McWhinney, distributed by the Associated Press. San Diego County taxpayers footed the bill for about $10 million paid out to victims in a civil settlement.

The AP account notes that the Christian Law Enforcement Fellowship decided to bring Fischer on “even given that sordid background,” indicating the organization’s leadership was aware of his criminal record at the time of the appointment. The Tuesday statement did not detail how Fischer came to be hired or what role, if any, he played in counseling officers during his brief time with the fellowship.

The fellowship, whose stated mission is to provide mentorship and counseling to police officers, made the announcement only after Voice of San Diego’s Friday reporting drew attention to Fischer’s appointment.