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| L. Douglas Wilder, Ex-Governor of Virginia, Accused of Sexual Harassment by College Student | L. Douglas Wilder, Ex-Governor of Virginia, Accused of Sexual Harassment by College Student |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| A college student who worked alongside L. Douglas Wilder, the former Virginia governor, has accused him of kissing her without her consent and suggesting that she move in with him, a lawyer for the student’s family confirmed Thursday. | A college student who worked alongside L. Douglas Wilder, the former Virginia governor, has accused him of kissing her without her consent and suggesting that she move in with him, a lawyer for the student’s family confirmed Thursday. |
| According to allegations, first reported by The Washington Post, Sydney Black, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, said that Mr. Wilder, 88, took her out in February 2017 to celebrate her 20th birthday, ordering her martinis. Ms. Black told The Post that Mr. Wilder later took her to his condo in Richmond, where, she said, he touched her leg and kissed her on the lips. | According to allegations, first reported by The Washington Post, Sydney Black, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, said that Mr. Wilder, 88, took her out in February 2017 to celebrate her 20th birthday, ordering her martinis. Ms. Black told The Post that Mr. Wilder later took her to his condo in Richmond, where, she said, he touched her leg and kissed her on the lips. |
| Ms. Black said she jerked away from Mr. Wilder’s advance and rebuked him. She told The Post that, months later, Mr. Wilder told her that there was no longer funding for her position as an office assistant at the university’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, where the former governor works as a distinguished professor. Ms. Black filed a complaint with the university in December, and its Title IX office is investigating the allegations, The Post reported, adding that she also reported the episode to the police. | Ms. Black said she jerked away from Mr. Wilder’s advance and rebuked him. She told The Post that, months later, Mr. Wilder told her that there was no longer funding for her position as an office assistant at the university’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, where the former governor works as a distinguished professor. Ms. Black filed a complaint with the university in December, and its Title IX office is investigating the allegations, The Post reported, adding that she also reported the episode to the police. |
| Mr. Wilder did not respond to requests for comment through email and phone calls to his assistant on Thursday. As the country’s first elected African-American governor, Mr. Wilder is a historic figure in American politics. | Mr. Wilder did not respond to requests for comment through email and phone calls to his assistant on Thursday. As the country’s first elected African-American governor, Mr. Wilder is a historic figure in American politics. |
| The accusations against him come after a storm of political scandals in Virginia, where Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark R. Herring admitted to wearing blackface and Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax was accused of sexual assault by two women. (Mr. Fairfax has denied that he assaulted either woman.) | The accusations against him come after a storm of political scandals in Virginia, where Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark R. Herring admitted to wearing blackface and Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax was accused of sexual assault by two women. (Mr. Fairfax has denied that he assaulted either woman.) |
| Attempts to reach Ms. Black on Thursday were unsuccessful. Her mother, Margo Stokes, referred questions to the family’s lawyer, Jason V. Wolfrey, who said The Post had accurately reported Ms. Black’s allegations. | Attempts to reach Ms. Black on Thursday were unsuccessful. Her mother, Margo Stokes, referred questions to the family’s lawyer, Jason V. Wolfrey, who said The Post had accurately reported Ms. Black’s allegations. |
| Mr. Wolfrey said in a statement that the family have “faith in the Title IX investigative process and are confident that it will affirm Sydney’s reports to investigators.” He said the family declined to comment further. | Mr. Wolfrey said in a statement that the family have “faith in the Title IX investigative process and are confident that it will affirm Sydney’s reports to investigators.” He said the family declined to comment further. |
| A spokesman for Virginia Commonwealth University declined to confirm that officials were investigating Ms. Black’s accusations, citing university policy. | A spokesman for Virginia Commonwealth University declined to confirm that officials were investigating Ms. Black’s accusations, citing university policy. |
| Ms. Black, now 22, told The Post that at her birthday dinner in 2017, Mr. Wilder said he could help her get admitted to Howard University School of Law, where he is a trustee emeritus. She said that he later told her that he could pay for law school and take her on trips to Paris and Atlanta, and he offered to let her live for free in his home, according to The Post. | |
| Ms. Black told The Post that, at first, she saw Mr. Wilder as the “key to my future.” Troubled by Mr. Wilder’s behavior and struggling to pay for college, Ms. Black withdrew from university courses last fall, The Post reported. She enrolled again this semester. | Ms. Black told The Post that, at first, she saw Mr. Wilder as the “key to my future.” Troubled by Mr. Wilder’s behavior and struggling to pay for college, Ms. Black withdrew from university courses last fall, The Post reported. She enrolled again this semester. |
| Mr. Wilder has long been a towering figure in Virginia politics, with a history of breaking racial barriers. The grandson of slaves, Mr. Wilder entered state politics in the late 1960s, when he became the first African-American state senator in Virginia since Reconstruction. He was elected governor in 1989 and served from 1990 through 1994. | Mr. Wilder has long been a towering figure in Virginia politics, with a history of breaking racial barriers. The grandson of slaves, Mr. Wilder entered state politics in the late 1960s, when he became the first African-American state senator in Virginia since Reconstruction. He was elected governor in 1989 and served from 1990 through 1994. |
| Ms. Black, an African-American woman, told The Post that she had struggled over whether to report Mr. Wilder’s behavior because of his historical legacy. | Ms. Black, an African-American woman, told The Post that she had struggled over whether to report Mr. Wilder’s behavior because of his historical legacy. |
| She told The Post, “I had to choose being a woman over being black.” | She told The Post, “I had to choose being a woman over being black.” |
| Mr. Wilder has recently been outspoken about harassment by powerful men at his university. In October, he published a blog post saying that he had filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against a former Virginia Commonwealth University dean, alleging that the dean had harassed and discriminated against one of Mr. Wilder’s office assistants. There is no indication that the lawsuit is related to Ms. Black’s allegations. | Mr. Wilder has recently been outspoken about harassment by powerful men at his university. In October, he published a blog post saying that he had filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against a former Virginia Commonwealth University dean, alleging that the dean had harassed and discriminated against one of Mr. Wilder’s office assistants. There is no indication that the lawsuit is related to Ms. Black’s allegations. |