LANSING, Mich. — Not even 24 hours after announcing her run for Lansing mayor, council member Kathie Dunbar is now facing accusations that she made racially insensitive and sexually inappropriate comments.
The allegations came from Rina Risper, publisher of The New Citizens’ Press Publisher. Risper said she experienced Dunbar’s inappropriate behavior for more than ten years. It started with dismissive and offensive comments about her race.
“I left my purse at her house, and I told her I needed to get it, and she told me the front door is open, but when you go in and get your purse, make sure you don’t steal anything,” Risper said.
Risper said it didn’t stop there. She said Dunbar’s behavior became more aggressive, to the point where she was being called racially insensitive names and propositioned for sex.
“One occasion, she invited me to her house, and I was the only one there. When I got there, she asked me to engage in a threesome with her and her husband,” Risper said.
Risper alleges that she was propositions for sex on two occasions. She said Dunbar would also "make sexually aggressive statements about her vagina and how big it was because she was she was a test study at the Michigan State University gynecology department."
On Monday, Dunbar said in a Facebook post that she is not racist but that "w`hat matters is that fifteen years ago, regardless of intent, my words and actions landed in a way that caused harm."
She also said back when she s performing comedy, she said things that she would not say today.
"I take responsibility for my words and actions, not just those from 15 years ago, but any time before now," Dunbar said. "In advocacy, we strive to do better than we’ve done, and when we know better, we do better. I’m still striving. I hope we all are."
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