A staff member in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office was fired after sending an email to DA Brooke Jenkins asking what color underwear she had on, the office said Friday.
The message, sent by Victim Advocate Jovan Thomas, was emailed to Jenkins and the rest of the office. Copies of the messages were leaked and appeared on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.
The exact wording of the email reads: “What color panties you have on.”
The subject line of the email, which appears undated in an image on the social media platform, mentions an event commemorating Matthew Shephard, a murdered gay college student whose proposed U.S. postal stamp is set to receive an endorsement from the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 30.
Thomas could not be reached for comment on Friday when The Standard tried several listed numbers for him and his work email address. In a statement Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the DA’s Office said Thomas has been fired.
In another email screenshot posted to X, Thomas apologized after sending the email, saying that it was sent in jest.
“Good afternoon everyone,” Thomas wrote. “While texting back and forth with my fraternity brother I sent a very inappropriate email. I sincerely apologize to everyone. Please know this is not who I am as a person as I carry myself with respect and dignity…”
The email chain posted online ends with a note from Chief Assistant District Attorney Ana Gonzalez that reads: “Dear all, we are aware that an inappropriate email was sent out. This matter is being handled by the administration. If you have opened the email please delete it, do not forward, copy or otherwise disseminate this email. Please be reminded city issued email is for business purposes only.”
Randy Quezada, a spokesperson for the DA’s Office, said in a statement provided to The Standard that Thomas has been fired and that there was no truth to the suggestion that he and Jenkins had a romantic relationship.
“To be clear, there is no relationship between the District Attorney and the individual who sent this email,” Quezada said. “This misogynistic behavior violates the office’s code of conduct and this individual has been terminated. The District Attorney’s Office is committed to maintaining a professional office environment where all staff members are treated with dignity and respect and not subject to harassment or a hostile work environment.”
It seems possible that Brooke Jenkins is having an affair with Victim's Advocate Jovan Taylor. Or he is sexually harassing… his boss? While people should be free to have the relationships they want, an affair with a subordinate is sexual harassment. We need an investigation.🧵 pic.twitter.com/xVFzZddbru
— Dimitry Yakoushkin (@decadimitry) January 26, 2024
Dimitry Yakoushkin, who posted the screengrabs, said he obtained them from an anonymous source.