The toe-curling reply-all email that city worker accidentally sent to colleagues - including San Francisco DA - that unfairly cost him his job, lawsuit alleges

A man is suing the San Francisco DA’s agency aft losing his occupation because of an accidental 'reply-all' email.

Jovan Thomas, 56, revenge nan title Friday, six months aft nan correspondence successful question.

In it, nan trained unfortunate advocator appeared to inquire nan joined territory lawyer 'what color' her panties were, earlier profusely apologizing successful a follow-up seconds later.

Both messages were sent to nan full office, pinch nan staffer's afloat email signature. 

This suggests he sent nan messages from a activity laptop, successful a reply to a almanac induce for an arena memorializing nan 1998 torturing and sidesplitting of a cheery assemblage student. He was fired that day, but now claims he was wrongfully terminated.

 In nan Superior Court complaint, attorneys for Thomas wrote really he had been texting pinch a longtime friend whose begetter had conscionable died, and intended to cheer him up pinch nan message. 

It had asked: 'What colour panties you person on[?]' 

'Hoping to cheer up his friend, who was distraught and grieving nan decease of his father, [Thomas] intended to matter his friend a jokey mobility of nan benignant that that plaintiff had sent his friend connected juncture successful nan past,' lawyers explained.

'[Thomas's] text to his friend was a whimsical mobility that was portion of plaintiffs modular jocular repertoire pinch his friend. 

'In nan discourse of their long-time friendship, plaintiff's flip mobility had nary sexual, off-color, obscene, misogynistic aliases sexist meaning aliases intent. 

'Rather, it was a goofy, non-sequitur by 1 long-time friend to different friend intended to effort to divert and cheer him up while he was going done a difficult and upsetting experience. 

'[Thomas's] matter was not an existent enquiry astir nan colour of his friend's panties, arsenic plaintiff was alert that his friend was a consecutive antheral who did not deterioration panties.,' nan title concluded.

'It was a silly joke intended to cheer up his friend.'

But it was not perceived this way, and connected January 26, spawned outrage and a swift soul investigation - 1 that culminated pinch nan Bayview unfortunate advocate's firing.

Before that, he frantically told chap labor he accidentally messaged: 'Good day everyone[.]

'[W]hile texting backmost and distant pinch my fraternity relative I sent a very inappropriate email.

'The email was meant arsenic a joke... and I sincerely apologize to everyone.

'[P]lease cognize this is not who I americium arsenic a personification arsenic I transportation myself pinch respect and dignity,' nan hastily penned apology went on.

'Please cognize that I americium sincerely sorry and would ne'er do specified a point connected purpose.'

Later successful nan day, Chief Assistant District Attorney Ana Gonzalez issued nan last reply to nan unfolding disaster - instructing staffers to delete nan first email and refrain from spreading it further.

'Dear all,' nan new, besides re-shared email began. ' We are alert than an inappropriate email was sent out. This matter is being handled by nan administration.

'If you person opened nan email please delete it, do not forward, transcript aliases different disseminate this email,' Gonzalez continued.

'Please beryllium reminded City issued email is for business purposes only. If you person immoderate questions of concerns please consciousness free to interaction SFDA HR.'

Jenkins, a 42-year-old who assumed nan domiciled of interim territory lawyer aft nan callback of Chesa Boudin successful 2022, herself did not speak connected nan embarrassment, but a spokesperson for nan DA’s agency did, issuing a connection successful nan pursuing days decrying Thomas's 'misogynistic behavior.'

'This misogynistic behaviour violates nan office’s codification of behaviour and this individual has been terminated,' nan rep wrote.

'The District Attorney’s Office is committed to maintaining a master agency situation wherever each unit members are treated pinch dignity and respect and not taxable to harassment aliases a dispute activity environment.'

In turn, Thomas's title alleges Jenkins and others made 'false, fraudulent, malicious and humiliating statements' astir him to nan property .

A week later, he said, he was told his termination was for cause.

He is seeking a assemblage proceedings and compensatory and punitive damages arsenic a result.

Jenkins has worked successful nan DA's agency since 2014. She is joined and has 3 kids pinch her partner, Daniel.