KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Attorney General’s Office is reviewing allegations that a former Southwest Michigan union leader molested a woman at a political event last year.
A police report from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety shows that the woman said Jonathan Byrd, then the president of the South Central Michigan Area Labor Council of the AFL-CIO, propositioned her for sex, touched her without her permission and placed her hand on his genitals.
The alleged incident happened April 19, 2022, at the Park Club in Kalamazoo during a political event for state Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo. The woman reported it to police in November, saying she decided to come forward after she learned of others having similar experiences with Byrd.
When interviewed by KDPS, Byrd, 39, of Battle Creek, said that the woman had started flirting with him at the party. He admitted to touching her leg and placing her hand on his thigh but said he did not place her hand on his genitals. He said he never suggested the two have sex. In a letter to KDPS, his attorney said Byrd was “adamant that any conduct was consensual.”
The lawyer also suggested during the interview with KDPS that “the allegations involved in this case are being used to harm (Byrd) politically.”
The police report suggested a charge of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for forcible contact. The state Attorney General’s Office was tapped to determine whether the case should move forward. On Thursday, a spokesperson told News 8 that the office did not have an update on its review.
The South Central Michigan Area Labor Council said Jonathan Byrd resigned from his post as president effective Thursday. Kathleen Cain-Babbitt, the vice president, was stepping up to fill the role until a permanent replacement could be picked.
“Jonathan Byrd has resigned as president of the South Central Michigan Area Labor Council effective immediately. The executive board of the labor council accepted his resignation on Thursday, March 30th. In accordance with the bylaws of our organization, I am serving as acting president of the Labor Council until the executive board elects a replacement. The South Central Michigan Area Labor Council takes the allegations leveled against Mr. Byrd very seriously and maintains a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment in all its forms.”
Kathleen Cain-Babbitt, vice president of the South Central Michigan AFL-CIO Labor Council
As of Thursday, a webpage with Byrd’s name in the URL listed the post of president as “vacant.”
The police report obtained by News 8 redacted the suspect’s name but was delivered in response to a request that directly asked for the case involving Byrd. The documents also show that the suspect identified himself as the union president. The allegations against Byrd were first reported by MIRS, a Lansing-based news outlet.
