On leave former Cleveland NAACP president Michael Nelson Sr accused of rape by woman who posted naked pictures of him on Faceook as he battles Judge Michael Sliwinski for a judicial seat on the Cleveland Municipal Court bench, Marlene Ridenour also a candidate in the closely watched judicial race....Nelson has not been charged, though police are investigating the rape allegation that Nelson says is political and comes from a scorned woman....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman of ClevelandUrbanNews.Com and the KathyWrayColemanOnlineNewsBlog.Com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million readers on Google Plus alone. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com
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| Michael Nelson Sr. |
CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM-CLEVELAND, Ohio- Controversial on-leave president of the Cleveland NAACP Michael Nelson Sr., who took the leave of absence from the local Civil Rights organization to run for a seat on the 13 member largely Black Cleveland Municipal Court, has been accused of rape as the Nov 7 general election nears and Nelson is a heated race with Judge Michael Sliwinsaki, a White Republican appointed by Gov Kasich to the seat to fill a vacancy on the court.
Also in the race is Marlene Ridenour, an East Cleveland assistant city prosecutor.
The alleged rape victim lives on the largely White west side of Cleveland and reportedly had been romantically involved with the single Nelson, allegedly posting naked pictures of Nelson that have since been taken down by Facebook, sources said.
The 46-year-old woman says in the police report that Nelson raped her on Oct 15.
Nelson has denied the rape allegation and said the woman is a scorned woman targeting him also for political reasons.
No charges have been filed to date, though police say the allegation is under investigation, police that have feuded with Nelson relative to his role as Cleveland NAACP president, Nelson, a criminal defense attorney, even suing Cleveland police and the city on behalf of the Cleveland NAACP in an excessive force case he was addressing.
Ridenour and Nelson, 68, are both Black, and all three were among panelists at a forum this year for Cleveland mayor led by Black community activists that was moderated by activist Kathy Wray Coleman, who leads the Imperial Women Coalition and edits Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog
"News of the allegation of rape of the on leave former Cleveland NAACP president a week before a close race for a seat on the Cleveland Municipal Court has rocked Black and White Cleveland area political circles, and it has national implications relative to his role with the NAACP," said Coleman, who leads the Cleveland based grasssroots group Imperial Women Coalition."Rape is a very serious matter no matter what the stature is of the accused."
A Nov 3 story by Cleveland.com, the online affiliate of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest newspaper, details the rape allegations in rare form, and both news venues have endorsed Sliwinski in the slug -fest race for the judicial seat with Nelson endorsed by the Cuyahoha County Democratic Party and several members of Cleveland City Council, among others.
Nelson also led a failed venture to recall Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, who faces Councilman Zack Reed in a non-partisian mayoral run-off election Nov 7, both Jackson and Reed of whom are Black.
The rape allegation has cast a shadow over Nelson's bid for judge, and puts the Cleveland NAACP, which Nelson led prior to the damning rape allegation, at risk as to it reputation for Civil Rights.
Attorney James Hardiman, also a criminal defense attorney, and Nelson's sidekick, now leads the Cleveland branch NAACP, and stepped up from first vice president when Nelson, president of the organization since an election in 2015, decided to seek a municipal level judgeship.
The woman said Nelson had her come over following an argument and that he raped her and shrugged his shoulders as he put his pants back on, and Nelson says she is a scorned lover.
A divorce,' Nelson has rekindled a relationship with his ex-wife, a key component of his campaign and who helped him spearhead a successful NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner this year, the first in several years. She is also embroiled in the controversy.
Nelson and Sliwinski have both campaigned heavily in the closely watched judicial race.
Cleveland is roughly 60 percent Black and has a population of some 385,000 people.
Nelson is also endorsed by famed Glenville High School football coach Ted Ginn Sr., who held a campaign fundraiser for Nelson at the downtown Cleveland dinner bar that he co-owns with RTA board member George Dixon dubbed G-Lancer on the 21, a takeoff of the now defunct but still legendary Lancer's Steak House restaurant and bar that Dixon owned and operated.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
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