By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

DETROIT – Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh is in hot water over allegations that he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a male student at a city high school during the recently completed school year, while serving as a volunteer mentor in a youth leadership program.

The mother of the student – who was 17 at the time of his alleged contact with Pugh – intends to sue Pugh, the city of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools “for more than $25,000,” according to the Detroit News.

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The mother, who remains anonymous, leveled the accusations against Pugh through her attorney, Ivan Land. He claims that Pugh had an “inappropriate relationship” with the boy, removed him from school without his mother’s permission and “showered him with gifts” that included a cell phone, according to the news report.

“It went way past what a teacher-student relationship consists of,” said Land, even though Pugh is not a professional educator and does not work for the Detroit school district. “(The mother) realized that Charles Pugh was taking her kid out of school. She was very upset.”

Land went on to claim he had copies of text messages to substantiate the allegations against Pugh, and added that the school district “had a duty to protect my client. He was sent to school to learn.”

Skip Mongo, described as a spokesman for the boy’s family, told the media that Pugh “was in a position of authority and he tried to seduce this young man.”

Pugh is openly gay, according to the news report.

Mongo said the boy’s mother never went to the police because Pugh “was the second most powerful person in Detroit” – presumably behind Mayor Dave Bing.

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The mother learned about the alleged relationship last month and complained to school officials and Pugh earlier this month, the news report said. Pugh responded by harassing her and offering her a job, Mongo claims.

“It started with an inappropriate relationship with the son, but it spilled over into harassment of the mother,” Mongo said. “The telephone calls all through the night, text messages, emails, after she begged this man to stop. He wanted her not to talk to anyone, media or the authorities.”

School officials will “look into” whether they should allow Pugh to mentor students in the coming school year, the news report said.