Latest news with #KahlilSeren
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cleveland Heights council approves ‘no confidence' resolution amid allegations against mayor's wife
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) – Cleveland Heights City Council is taking action after Mayor Kahlil Seren's wife, Natalie McDaniel, allegedly sent and made anti-Semitic remarks and texts. The FOX 8 I-Team has been fighting for public records related to the alleged behavior to be released, but so far the city has been dragging its feet. The mayor has adamantly denied the anti-Semitic behavior, but at a special meeting on May 27, Councilman Jim Petras introduced a 'no confidence' resolution calling for accountability and transparency. I-X Center one step closer to being repurposed — what it would mean for events It was standing room only inside council chambers on Monday night for the first public reading of the resolution. Several were carrying signs calling for the mayor to resign. 'RESIGN Seren it's you, you're the problem,' one sign said. Councilman Anthony Mattox, Jr. said he thought the issue should be left to voters and he expressed concerns because other members of council supporting the resolution are running for mayor. He also said that the controversy is breeding division. 'It is affecting my family, many families up here and many of your families too,' he said. Councilman Craig Cobb said the controversies are making Cleveland Heights, 'the laughing stock of Northeast Ohio.' Kent State to close LGBTQ+, women's, multicultural centers In the end, council voted 6 to 1 in favor of the 'no confidence' resolution. Although it's largely symbolic, the calls for the mayor to resign are expected to intensify. Seren responded, saying, 'Even as you have lost confidence, we will still get the work of the city done just as we have this evening and all of you will continue working with me and I will continue to work to move the city forward and I am appreciate to the residents and all the city workers who have shown me care and support through this.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cleveland Heights retains outside counsel after refusing to release bodycam video
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) – Cleveland Heights law department officials have retained an attorney to represent them after refusing to release police body camera video involving Mayor Kahlil Seren's wife. The FOX 8 I-Team has asked for the video, but the law department denied the request and sent us an email stating that they have retained Attorney Gregory Beck, of North Canton, to handle the matter. The I-Team has filed a complaint with the Ohio Court of Claims asking the court to order the city to release the video. The interaction between the mayor's wife, Natalie McDaniel, and the sergeant happened Dec. 6 inside Cleveland Heights City Hall. 'King of the Hill' actor fatally shot: Reports Cleveland Heights officials said there was no 'official' police report but they did release a statement written by the sergeant. No charges were filed against the mayor's wife. 'On 12/06/2024 at approximately 1 p.m. I was approached by a unknown woman in City Hall's front desk of the Mayor's office,' wrote Sergeant Jason Mose. 'I first noticed the woman in a panic state in the atrium, as if she was waiting for someone. She was gesturing and talking to herself. At some point, she approached me at the front desk and asked in a frantic voice if I knew where the Mayor was. I replied, I have not seen the Mayor. She became very agitated and annoyed at my answer. She told me she was suppose to meet her Husband in the atrium. At this point, I was able to connect this female is the Mayor's wife. I asked her what time did the Mayor respond to you, she stated at 12:53 p.m., in agitated voice. I remember looking at the desk top computer and saw the exact time was 1:05 p.m. I told her maybe he is in a meeting or something. She then demanded if I knew Chief Britton was in his Office, I replied I do not know.' The report further noted that when an employee from the mayor's office confronted her, she began swearing at him. The sergeant noted on his statement that the incident happened during city hall business hours. The sergeant added that a lieutenant tried to 'de-escalate' the situation. 'I could still hear the female berating and criticizing someone from where I was sitting,' the statement read. 'This scolding continued for approximately 20-30 minutes. The female was hitting the glass window behind me. She was calling me a giant white man and how she is a light skinned Black woman who repressed the way I treated her. This ended when the Mayor, his wife and Lieutenant Corrigan exited from the Office. The Mayor turned to me and stated we need to talk while walking towards the staircase. Parts of this incident was recorded on my BWC.' Some taxpayers may receive tax refunds in June: When payments could arrive Attorney Tom Merriman said he believe the body camera video should be released. 'The rules don't change, the law doesn't change just because she happens to be married to a public official,' Merriman said. 'If you look at the law, if you look at the case law, this is a no brainer. It's a slam dunk public record.' We have tried to talk to the mayor several times but he has declined to answer any specific questions.'I think the members of Cleveland Heights City Council should be demanding that this recording be released,' Merriman said. 'I think they have a duty to the people of Cleveland Heights.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lawsuit filed against Cleveland Heights and mayor's wife: I-Team
[WATCH: Previous coverage, in the video player above, from the FOX 8 I-team.] CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) -– A former Cleveland Heights employee is suing the City of Cleveland Heights and the mayor's wife. Atty. Sean Sobel, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Patrick Costigan, who worked as a special assistant to Mayor Kahlil Seren. The lawsuit was filed Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Costigan states in the suit that the mayor's wife, Natalie McDaniel, who is not a city employee, was acting as his supervisor and made antisemitic remarks. VIDEO: Shootout with police near University of Akron 'Seren has publicly referred to McDaniel as the 'First Lady' of Cleveland Heights, and acknowledged that she acts as his counsel and advisor,' the lawsuit states. 'McDaniel has been personally involved in official Cleveland Heights business, including sitting in on numerous committee meetings and job interviews for Cleveland Heights employees and consultants. Costigan was specifically ordered by Mayor Seren to follow all directives given to him by McDaniel as if they were coming directly from the Mayor. ' The FOX 8 I-Team reached out to Cleveland Heights officials to discuss the lawsuit but have not yet heard back. 'Costigan identifies as an ethnic Jew,' the suit states. 'Costigan, on multiple occasions, discussed his Jewish heritage with McDaniel, and she was fully aware that he identified as an ethnic Jew. McDaniel subjected Costigan to countless anti-Semitic remarks, orally and in writing, directed at Cleveland Heights elected officials, employees, and even a resident. McDaniel made a comment to Costigan, while using what can be described as a stereotypical New York Jewish accent, that 'black people don't grow up with generational wealth and things like a Jewish accountant,' when discussing new state legislation that would charge interested parties for police body camera footage. McDaniel made numerous comments about City Council's desire to recruit a 'Jewish candidate' to fill an open council seat, and also referred to now-council member Jim Posch multiple times as the 'Jewish candidate' the majority of council wanted.' Alcohol factor in early morning shooting: Police The mayor has denied the allegations and has said his wife's remarks were taken out of context and some were altered. The mayor also alleged that Costigan made the allegations after he refused an offer from Costigan to settle prior to a lawsuit being filed. 'The frequency and severity of these anti-Semitic and homophobic comments created a hostile work environment for Costigan and gave him no choice but to seek medical leave from the City,' the suit further states. 'On February 5, 2025, Costigan corresponded with Dan Horrigan, who was the City Administrator at the time, and cited a personal matter with McDaniel as contributing to his health issues and necessitating medical leave. After the City did nothing to follow up with the issues that Costigan referenced with McDaniel, the City terminated Costigan's employment on March 13, 2025.' Costigan has also filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. 'Not only did McDaniel make anti-Semitic statements to Costigan, but she also subjected him to grossly derogatory comments towards the LGBTQ community, of which Costigan is a member,' the suit further stated. School board votes to suspend Ohio high school Costigan is asking a judge to order the city make several changes including to 'institute policies to safeguard against further discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, gender, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or identity, age, or any other protected class' and to 'certify that non-employees are not permitted to conduct official city business or be given unsupervised access to areas of Cleveland Heights City Hall that are reserved only for Cleveland Heights employees or elected officials.' Security video obtained by the I-Team through a public records request shows Mayor Kahlil Seren enter the Cleveland Heights Law Department office early in the morning on Thursday, April 3, for about four minutes. Then, also in the afternoon on Saturday, April 5, you see the mayor go in for about two minutes. City hall was closed both times. The mayor appeared to let himself into the office both times, even though he had said during an April 2 Cleveland Heights Council meeting that he does not have access to get inside the Law Department. James Bates, a Cleveland Heights resident, said he wants to know why the Mayor went inside the Law Department when the office was closed. He added that he believes, due to all the recent issues, the mayor should resign. The I-Team also asked for the body camera video of an interaction the Mayor's wife had with Cleveland Heights police officers inside City Hall on December 6. The Law Department has declined to release the video. Meanwhile, some city residents have started taking steps to recall the mayor. About a dozen residents started circulating a petition and collecting signatures. Seren, who is up for reelection in the fall, has pulled petitions to run for reelection. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I-Team: Why is a local mayor going into law dept. after hours?
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) — Exclusive video released to the Fox 8 I-Team raises more questions about what's going on at Cleveland Heights City Hall. Security video obtained by the I-Team through a public records request shows Mayor Kahlil Seren enter the Cleveland Heights Law Department office early in the morning on Thursday, April 3, for about four minutes. Then, also in the afternoon on Saturday, April 5, you see the mayor go in for about two minutes. City hall was closed both times. Medina police searching for suspect in attempted child abduction The mayor appeared to let himself into the office both times, even though he had said during an April 2 Cleveland Heights Council meeting that he does not have access to get inside the Law Department. 'There are a few specific areas of the city and city government that are restricted,' Seren said during the meeting. 'My key card does not open those areas. That would include the courts, the law department.' The I-Team sent e-mails to the mayor, the Communications Office for Cleveland Heights, and the law director to discuss the video. We also went to Cleveland Heights to talk to the mayor, but he was not available. In the e-mail requesting comment, we asked why the mayor went into the Law Department on April 3 and April 5, when no one was inside the office. Community raises thousands for family after 13-year-old killed in Green parade accident A Cleveland Heights spokesperson asked us to send the video we obtained after filing a public records request. We offered to meet with the Mayor and show the video, but he declined. The spokesperson then sent the following statement: 'Given the lack of information related to the request, and given the limited time to respond, there is no comment from the Mayor at this time.' City residents have called for the mayor to resign, complaining about him and his wife. Some employees have alleged a toxic work environment and others have alleged the Mayor's wife made anti-Semitic remarks. The Mayor has denied those Bates, a Cleveland Heights resident, says he wants to know why the Mayor went inside the Law Department when the office was closed. Virginia woman pleads guilty to killing man in woods at Cuyahoga Valley National Park We have also asked for the body camera video of an interaction the Mayor's wife had with Cleveland Heights police officers inside City Hall on December 6. The Law Department has declined to release the video. The I-Team has learned that the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office was contacted about the December 6 incident. A spokesperson with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office released the following statement. 'The Cleveland Heights Prosecutor's Office informally consulted our office regarding a body camera video recorded by a Cleveland Heights Officer while on duty during an incident that occurred at Cleveland Heights City Hall. The question was posed to us whether our office felt felony charges were appropriate pertaining to the Cleveland Heights Officer's conduct. The video was never provided to us. However, based on the facts articulated to us, we felt no criminal conduct occurred. The informal consultation regarding criminal charges occurred on March 27 and specifically, it was an incident that occurred at Cleveland Heights City Hall regarding an officer's body camera recording and the mayor's wife.' 2 plead guilty to plotting $147K armed robbery at Euclid Marc's The I TEAM will continue to fight for that police video and an explanation behind the after-hours visits to the Law Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cleveland Heights mayor speaks out amid accusations against wife
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) – Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren is speaking out after accusations against his wife have led some residents to call for his resignation. An EEOC complaint filed with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission last week accused the mayor's wife, Natalie McDaniel, of sending anti-Semitic text messages that targeted Jewish colleagues and residents in the community. In a 15-minute video posted to Facebook on Wednesday night, Seren called the recent allegations 'false.' 'One area where my wife and I are in very clear alignment is in our shared belief that anti-Jewish hatred and antisemitism, as described in the IHRA definition, has no place in our community or any other,' Seren said. 'Going further, we believe that antisemitism, anti-blackness, white supremacy, islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia, along with ethnic and religious bigotry, are part of the same enemy that we all have a responsibility to fight both within ourselves and the world.' Residents calling for city to shut down Garfield Heights bar Seren stated that, before the accusations were made, his administration received a threat from a former employee, 'that they would file a lawsuit unless we agreed to their demand of $300,000 and a job reference. In exchange, they offered to abandon the lawsuit and instead sign a mutual non-disparagement and confidentiality agreement.' The mayor said he turned down that offer. Because it's a legal claim against the city of Cleveland Heights, the mayor said he cannot fully reveal details about the city's response to the complaint. 'But there are some things I feel the need to address now,' he said. 'I want to assure you that the claims made in this complaint are false and the city will be taking all steps to defend that position.' 'That's crazy': Struggling CMSD sent kids to Disney World, I-Team learns Seren went on to address some of the specific accusations made in the complaint, as seen in the full video above. The mayor also said he and his wife have been targeted by threats. 'My wife has received threatening texts and calls. Our police had to pay a visit to a man who threatened to come to our home on Monday while I was gone,' he said. 'Some of you may not care that we're dealing with abuse, harassment and now threat as a result of an unproven accusation, but I hope that enough of you can see a path toward empathy and understanding to allow us to move forward together.' Dozens of protesters spoke out before the city council meeting Monday night, calling for Seren to resign, as FOX 8 previously reported. Cleveland Heights will have its second-ever mayoral election in November. It's unclear at this time if Seren will seek reelection. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
