PRESS RELEASE: Shidea Lane, the young Black woman sucker punched and tossed off of a Cleveland RTA bus by since fired bus driver Artis Hughes, to appear at press conference by Imperial Women on outrageous violence against women, Sunday, 5 pm, WERE 1490 AM Radio parking lot, 2510 St. Clair Ave in Cleveland, Lane, her attorney to appear on Art McKoy University Show on WERE at 5:30 pm after press conference, Nov 25 is National End Violence Against Women Day

Shidea N. Lane, a passenger on a Regional Transit Authority bus in greater Cleveland that RTA bus driver Artis Hughes, who was has since been fired, sucker punched to the floor and tossed off the bus on Sept. 18 after an argument between the two ensued. 

Former RTA bus driver Artis Hughes, who sucker punched and chokes a young Black RTA passenger Shidea Lane, 25, and tossed her off the bus he was driving. Hughes, 59, was fired from his job last week for violating RTA rules, regulations and policies relative to his attack on Lane.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, Publisher, Editor-n-Chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper(www.clevelandurbannews.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio-The Imperial Women and other womens' rights groups will hold a press conference on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 5 pm with Shidea N. Lane, the young Black woman subjected to an uppercut, choked, and thrown from a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus by since fired bus driver Artis Hughes.

The press conference will be held in the parking lot at WERE 1490 AM Radio Station in Cleveland, 2510 St. Clair Ave. For more information contact The Imperial Women at 216-659-0473.

"We will be there for the press conference and we look forward to appearing on WERE radio later that evening so that Shidea can tell her story," said Dale Friedland, Lane's lawyer.

Other Speakers for the press conference include Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor Leaders Dr. Stuart Robinson and Valerie Robinson, Cleveland Community Advocate Kimberly F. Brown, Cleveland Mayoral Candidate Donna Walker Brown, Imperial Women Leader Kathy Wray Coleman, Cleveland Attorney Edele Passalacqua, Imperial Women Member and Community Activist Frances Caldwell,  Imperial Women Member and Community Activist Willie Stokes, and Community Activist Denise Taylor, a member of The Imperial Women, and Black on Black Crime. 

Watch the video of the RTA bus incident with Hughes and Lane below.

In addition to The Imperial Women, other sponsoring groups include Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, and Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice.

Following the press conference, and specifically at 5:30 pm , Lane, 25,  and Friedland, will appear on the Art McKoy University Show, which airs weekly on WERE on Sundays from 5 pm to 7 pm and is produced by  McKoy and Community Activist Al Porter of Black on Black Crime Inc. The call in number to the radio station is 216-578 1490. To reach McKoy call 216-253-4070.

Last Sunday Hughes, 59, appeared on the show and  he and McKoy called for a day of safety for RTA bus drivers.

In response, some community activists who say that they have no problem with a day of safety for bus drivers and passengers say that they will call for a day of peace for women against unnecessary violence in greater Cleveland and elsewhere.

"We will make our position known at the press conference and, among other issues, we are calling for Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 to be celebrated  as a day of peace in greater Cleveland and elsewhere against outrageous and brutal violence against women in cooperation with the National End Violence Against Women Day,"  Kathy Wray Coleman, a founding member of The Imperial Women, the group formed in 2009 around the rape and murder of 11 Black women by since convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell on Imperial Ave. in Cleveland. "We also call for more sensitivity training for RTA bus drivers and a comprehensive investigation of all complaints filed with police, RTA and otherwise by women and girls that allege abusive dialogue by RTA bus drivers, illegal arrest and jailing by RTA and other police, malicious criminal charges, and any other anti female activities. And we will be looking into other actions that reflect  a disrespect of the public that patronize RTA as well as the effectiveness of its top level administrators."

Coleman said that her group does support The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268, the local union for RTA bus drivers, and calls for more resources, higher wages and better working conditions for union employees, but that Hughes does not fit the model the union might be looking for to hold up as a victim by the RTA management.

The incident at issue occurred on an RTA bus on Sept 18 on the border of Cleveland and Beachwood, Oh. following an altercation with  Lane and Hughes. It  went viral because of a cell phone video on Youtube.com, and made national headlines.

The city of Beachwood has charged Hughes with misdemeanor assault and Lane with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Both have pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.

Friedland said that Hughes repeatedly called Lane a bitch during  the argument that led to Hughes ultimately punching Lane in the face before he literally tossed her off the bus on to the curb.  

Hughes was fired last week by RTA with its spokesman saying he violated RTA rules, regulations and policies, and that his attack on Lane was not in "self defense."

Hughes claims that Lane spit on him and pushed him, allegations that both Lane and her attorney have publicly denied.

Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by email at editor@clevelandurbannews.com and by phone@216-659-0473