LGBTQ Commission Calls for Resignation of Gay Democratic Mayor of Seattle on Sex Abuse Accusations
Seattle's Democratic mayor, Ed
Murray, right, and his "husband,"
Michael Shiosaki, who works for
the Seattle Parks and Recreation
Department. (TheStranger.com)
(CNSNews.com) -- The LGBTQ Commission in Seattle, Wash., called for Democratic Mayor Ed Murray to resign on July 24 because of accusations and mounting evidence that Murray – who is a homosexual and “married” to a man – apparently sexually assaulted teenagers in the 1980s.
In addition to his sexual preference, Murray is a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community.
On July 17, the Seattle Times published a “Protective Service Assessment” report from May 20, 1984, written by case worker Judy Butler, which states that “Edward Murray” was investigated for his fostering a boy named “Jeff Simpson,” and that Simpson stated he was sexually abused in the report.
In the document’s findings it states, “In the professional judgment of this caseworker who has interviewed numerous children of all ages and of all levels of emotional disturbance regarding sexual abuse, Jeff Simpson has been sexually abused by [redacted] Edward Murray.”
As the Seattle Times reports, the case worker “concluded that Ed Murray sexually abused his foster son in the early 1980s, leading state officials to assert that ‘under no circumstances should Mr. Murray be certified’ as a foster parent in the future.”
Some of the "Findings" from the May 20, 1984 Protective Service Assessment regarding Ed Murray
and Jeff Simpson. (Document published by the Seattle Times.)
The report also mentioned that two other men, Lloyd Anderson and Lavon Jones, “also separately allege Murray paid them for sex as teenagers.”
According to The Stranger, a local Seattle newspaper, Anderson accused Murray of this behavior in 2008, while the Seattle Times reported that Lavon Jones presented sworn testimony on May 2, 2017 saying, “Mr. Murray gave me money for sex. I am not part of any right-wing conspiracy.”
In addition to the case worker report and the separate allegations, the Seattle Times said in a previous report that a man named Delvonn Heckard sued Murray in April 2017 on the grounds of sexual assault when he was a teenager. CNSNews.com reported at that time that Heckard had given his name simply as D. H. in the lawsuit.
“Due to allegations and mounting evidence that you have repeatedly engaged in sexual abuse of minors, we believe that you should no longer serve as the leader of the City of Seattle,” the LGBTQ Commission wrote in their letter to Murray, a copy of which they sent to CNSNews.com.
“Lloyd Anderson, Jeff Simpson, Maurice Levon Jones, and Delvonn Heckard have all come forward with their personal experiences of abuse, and evidence has recently emerged illustrating that you did abuse Simpson,” said the commission.
According to the Seattle Times, Murray has denied all accusations but decided to cancel his campaign for reelection on May 9. He also said he would finish his term in office, which ends this year, 2017.
“The allegations against me paint me in the worst possible historic portrait of a gay man,” said Murray in a video published in the Times. "The allegations against me are not true, and I say this with all honesty and with the deepest sincerity.”
The letter to the mayor from the commission continued, “We perceive your attempt to dismiss these claims as a ‘politically motivated’ monolithic issue of homophobia to be a maneuver that is divisive and damaging to our community.”
“Claiming homophobic intent to shield yourself from accountability and erase the experiences of survivors of sexual abuse is silencing, manipulative, and morally repugnant,” the commission added.
The LGBTQ Commission’s letter further stated, “In addition to the evidence regarding deeply grave sexual abuse, we believe your response has been harmful and inappropriate, particularly to LGBTQ individuals, survivors of sexual abuse, and individuals with criminal history.”
“You have responded to the allegations by invoking the accusers’ criminal records as proof of their unreliability,” states the letter. “We affirm that survivors of sexual assault must be believed and honored, no matter their identity or social standing.”
The LGBTQ Commission further said the mayor of Seattle should be “an exemplar of leadership, accountability, and honesty” and that “public trust in your leadership has eroded.”
Jeff Simpson, who accused Seattle Mayor Ed Murray of sexual abuse. (Photo: Seattle Times.)
“We stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, and all those disproportionately impacted by abuses of power,” reads the letter. “As a Commission, we aim to uplift, not silence, the perspectives and experiences of the most marginalized members of our community.”
The May 20, 1984 “Protective Service Assessment” written by case worker Judy Butler is headlined, “THIS ASSESSMENT INCLUDES FOSTER HOME INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE FOLLOWING PARENTS: EDWARD MURRAY, DOB [REDACTED].”
Murray was born in 1955.
The document states that, “Jeff Simpson [redacted] has been sexually abused by Edward Murray.” According to the report, Murray’s abuse of Simpson began when the boy was 13 years old.
The Seattle Times further reported that a Multnomah County prosecutor withdrew a criminal case against Ed Murray because of “[Jeff] Simpson’s troubled personality.”
Mary Burns Tomlinson, then-Deputy District Attorney for Multnomah County, Oregon, wrote in a letter dated May 15, 1984 and released by the Seattle Times, the following: “However, this in no way means that the District Attorney's Office has decided that Jeff's [Jeff Simpson] allegations are not true.”
Protective Service Assessment of May 20, 1984 regarding Ed Murray and Jeff Simpson.
(Published in the Seattle Times.)
The CPS's Judy Butler said of Murray, "Likewise, Mr. Murray who was specially certified for Jeff Simpson, should never again be utilized as a certified CSD resource for children. It is unfortunate that the criminal justice system chose not to act in this case simply because a conviction of [redacted] Mr. Murray would probably be the only way of mandating them in to treatment for their sexual deviancy."
The LGBTQ Commission also stated that they do not take their decision “lightly,” as Mayor Ed Murray appointed many of them.
However, with “moral and pragmatic motivations,” they called for his resignation: “Continuing in your position as Mayor sends a clear, devastating message to current and past survivors of sexual assault (including young people who may currently be experiencing abusive situations), that their pain and experiences are less important than maintaining the status quo; staying in office distracts Seattle from critical matters that require our full energy now -- such as addressing the homelessness crisis; remaining in office erodes our civil institutions and our commitment to justice.”
Seattle's Democratic mayor, Ed Murray, left, and his "husband," Michael Shiosaki, the director of
planning and development for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department. (TheStranger.com)
http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/theresa-smith/lgbtq-commission-calls-resignation-gay-mayor-seattle-sex-abuse-accusations
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