Supervisors continue Hastings settlement debate; item moved to closed session next week amid calls for public oversight

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors continued consideration of a proposed settlement with Hastings College of the Law on Aug. 11 and scheduled a closed-session briefing for Aug. 18 to review legal advice and implementation questions. The item drew extended debate about the city's use of hotel rooms to shelter people during the COVID-19 pandemic, resource trade-offs between neighborhoods, and whether litigation prompted changes in policy.

Item 11 on the board agenda sought authorization for a settlement of a lawsuit filed by Hastings College of the Law against the City and County of San Francisco. The lawsuit alleged violations tied to encampment conditions in the Tenderloin and sought injunctive relief requiring the city to achieve specific outcomes. City attorneys told the board they were asking members to consider the settlement "on its own terms." Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson said settling would resolve the existing case but could not predict future filings.

Supervisor Hillary Ronan, who represents the neighborhood near the contested construction project on Folsom Street earlier in the meeting, and Supervisor Matt Haney, whose district includes the Tenderloin, both described a…