My Experience with Harassment and Hostility from Ald. Charles Myadze

My Experience with Harassment and Hostility from Alder Charles Myadze

Content warning: sexual harassment, workplace harassment, workplace hostility, and domestic abuse

Disclaimer: This statement reflects my personal experience and opinion based on firsthand encounters with Ald. Myadze and the subsequent investigation.

Read the investigation report here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZNjcLC7g3qZYGw8D6ZJcdM5xVzCm3nc…

Dear friends and neighbors,

This is the hardest statement I’ve ever had to write. The experience that I am sharing with you has caused immense mental and emotional harm—not only to me, but to my father, my close family, and friends. After carrying this burden and following a long and arduous investigation, I am relieved to finally speak the truth and share my story.

As you may know, an investigation report was recently released to the public regarding three complainants against Ald. Myadze committing sexual harassment, harassment, and hostility in his capacity as a Madison Common Council member. I was one of these complainants.

In March 2022, during the National League of Cities (NLC) conference in Washington DC, Ald. Myadze made a series of unwelcome, sexually inappropriate comments towards me. These comments began when he said, “you look gooooood”, while looking me up and down, undressing me with his eyes. Over the course of the conference, his comments escalated. He suggest, incorrectly, that I was having sexual relations with former alder, who, like Ald. Myadze, is twice my age. In one instance, Ald. Myadze pointed out that I was wearing open-toed shoes and stated, “oh your feet are out, I bet you are wearing a lot less [former Alder's name] place.” He continued to make comments about my appearance, including references to my breasts.

Even though I repeatedly asked Ald. Myadze to stop, he persisted and refused to respect my boundaries. His comments grew more degrading and more frequent as the conference went on. Upon return from D.C., I confided in three fellow alders, seeking guidance on how to handle the situation. It was at this point that I believe Ald. Myadze learned I had spoken to others.

Instead of apologizing or accepting any form of responsibility, Ald. Myadze threatened me. In April 2022, we were meeting about Council business when he cornered me in his car. He locked the doors, got in my face aggressively, and shouted “if I ever hear about this from you again, you and me are done.” It was as if a light switched in Ald. Myadze and I caught a glimpse of what I now understand to be his deep-seated rage.

I was paralyzed with fear. I was a 22 year-old, female college student alone in a car with a grown man twice my age, who was hitting on me and now yelling in my face. Ald. Myadze made it abundantly clear that if I were to speak about this situation again, he would punish me with retaliatory actions on Council.

There was an intense power imbalance between me and Ald. Myadze. Moreover, my sense of responsibility to my 14,000+ constituents and Madison residents made me decide to keep quiet about the situation. I believed that Ald. Myadze was willing to jeopardize the prosperity and well-being of Madison for his personal interests. In the fallout from Ald. Myadze’s threats, I kept my distance from him and maintained a clear professional boundary. Ald. Myadze silenced me.

My experience with Ald. Myadze was not a one-off. It was part of a disturbing pattern of harassment and retaliation both within and outside of his capacity as an alder. Aside from me, three other women have come forward with similar accounts of unwanted sexual advances, followed by threats and retaliation. Outside of Council, Ald. Myadze has faced numerous allegations from former domestic partners and even his own son, who have accused him of physical and emotional domestic violence.

After learning about Ald. Myadze’s disturbing pattern of behavior, I knew that I could no longer remain silent. I filed a formal complaint with the city, which then prompted a private investigation on Ald. Myadze. Initially, the investigators sustained my claims, confirming that Ald. Myadze’s conduct amounted to harassment and hostility in the workplace. But after reopening the investigation, they revised their findings, citing that I remained professional, despite his threats. It is a shame that my ability to handle a tense situation with professionalism is what ended up being used against me.

It is important to note that the investigators did not find that Ald. Myadze did not commit harassment and hostility in a non-legal sense. In fact, the investigators acknowledged the severity of his actions. They found my account credible and Ald. Myadze’s “less credible”—a clear indication to me that he blatantly lied and obstructed the investigation. Despite the legal conclusion not being in my favor, this whole experience is emblematic of a broader issue of lack of accountability in our legal system for abusers.

The Common Council has a longstanding failure to hold alders that abuse their power accountable. There are several notable examples of the Council neglecting allegations of misconduct and protecting men in positions of power from scrutiny and punishment. Even though the Council has made repeated performative statements claiming to believe survivors, when it is time for action, the Council fails to support and protect survivors.

Still, this is not where this story ends. I encourage others to be brave and stand up to abusers. I know it’s hard, especially in a climate where high-profile abusers have escaped justice for years. But, we have something they don’t. We have the truth and we have each other. Together we are strong. I am confident that together we will pave a future of justice and accountability.

In solidarity,

Juliana