DETROIT – A Metro Detroit attorney representing an 18-year-old man and his mother claims Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh had an inappropriate relationship with a student at Douglass Academy.
Local 4's Mara MacDonald tweeted as the press conference happened.
TWITTER: Attorney hold press conference about pending lawsuit against Charles Pugh
The attorney says he will not provide copies of texts between Pugh and the teenager and was not willing to elaborate on what Pugh may have written to the teen. During a Wednesday press conference he did, however, say Pugh took the student off campus in a city car and bought him gifts.
The lawsuit to be field claims there was an inappropriate relationship between Pugh and the then 17-year-old he was mentoring. The mentorship program was run by Pugh and affiliated with the Douglass Academy.
The mother of the young man told the Local 4 Defenders she is disappointed with Pugh's behavior.
Attorneys representing the family compared this case to the Penn State sexual abuse investigation but refused to reveal an specific details about the alleged inappropriate conduct.
The lawyer also claimed the Detroit Public Schools District did nothing to protect the boy. Officials with DPS refute that claim.
Douglass Academy released this statement on Wednesday:
The mother of a recent Douglass Academy graduate approached the school with concerns regarding her son's mentor. At the time, the school reached out to the parent who stated that she would prefer to handle the matter personally. The school has since contacted the parent again in writing seeking to resolve the concerns, and is awaiting a response. The school and the district will fully review the program in question, as would be the case whenever concerns are expressed by a parent.
Stay with Local 4 and ClickonDetroit.com as more information is made available.