Former Democratic Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, the first elected African American governor in U.S. history, has been accused of sexual assault.
Amid ongoing controversy surrounding racism and sexual misconduct in Virginia politics, a former student at Virginia Commonwealth University said she was kissed by the former governor without her consent, according to a Thursday report by the Washington Post.
Sydney Black, 22, alleges that in 2017 Wilder, who is now 88, took her out for dinner to celebrate her 20th birthday, plied her with alcohol, and brought her back to his Richmond condo where he kissed her.
“He reached over and put his hand on my right leg, and I just kind of looked at him, and as soon as I looked at him, he kissed me on my mouth. I immediately jerked away,” Black said.
She immediately questioned the former governor as to why he thought he could do something like that and demanded he take her home. She said Wilder complied and commented that he “shouldn’t have” kissed her.
Black, who worked as an hourly employee the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, a school named for the former governor, said she struggled with whether to report the incident, noting his sterling legacy as a black statesman in Virginia.
Black ultimately reported the alleged incident in December of last year. “I had to choose being a woman over being black,” she said.
VCU reportedly sent Black a letter in January notifying her that the school intended to launch a Title IX investigation into the claims. Police also reportedly filed an incident report regarding the matter.
The Title IX coordinator at VCU told Black that an “external attorney-investigator with specialized training and experience” had been appointed to look into her report.
Democratic political leaders in Virginia politics have been the focus of national attention this year. Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring admitted to wearing black ace, while Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax has been accused of sexual assault. None of the men have resigned, despite pushback from both political parties.
Wilder, who served as governor from 1990-1994, has called for Northam to resign over the matter, though he has not made a public comment about Fairfax.
When reached for comment, VCU told the Washington Examiner that the school “does not disclose information about university investigations including whether or not an investigation is underway.”
