TOPEKA — Six women serving in the Kansas House and a statewide domestic violence organization Tuesday urged Democratic Rep. Aaron Coleman to resign immediately from the Legislature after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery.
Coleman, who serves a district in Kansas City, Kansas, was formally charged Monday in Johnson County District Court. His attorney entered a not guilty plea.
Coleman wasn’t present in court, but was instructed to undergo a mental health evaluation before a scheduled appearance Dec. 22. The allegations center on an incident Saturday involving disagreements with a sibling at a relative’s home.
In a statement, the six representatives and a former legislator requested Coleman resign from office because his conduct made him unfit to serve. If he refused to quit, the group said they would file a complaint to seek his expulsion from the Kansas House.
The same coalition of women legislators requested in December 2020 that Coleman step down when his past conflicts with women dating to 2014 were made public. They also took issue with Coleman’s statement suggesting he would “call a hit” on Gov. Laura Kelly.
“We are alarmed that an individual remains in a position of power after continued documented accounts of violence,” the legislators said in a statement. “This troubling pattern of bullying and intimidation has created an unsafe environment for state employees, legislators and visitors to the Capitol.”
Democratic Reps. Stephanie Byers, of Wichita; Linda Featherston, of Overland Park; Christina Haswood, of Lawrence; Jo Ella Hoye, of Lenexa; Mari-Lynn Poskin, of Leawood; Lindsay Vaughn, of Overland Park; and former Rep. Jennifer Day said public officials ought to prioritize public safety.
Coleman, 21, was previously the subject of complaints of domestic violence, stalking and revenge porn involving girls and women. His prior conduct was investigated earlier this year by a special committee in the Kansas House, which recommended he be reprimanded.
Joyce Grover, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, said abusers not held accountable for their actions were likely to continue harming people.
“We urge the state Legislature and others to take these latest allegations seriously in light of his past and continuing actions of domestic violence, stalking, intimidation and other abusive behavior and to consider holding him accountable through the imposition of additional sanctions by the Kansas legislative body or other decision-makers,” Grover said.
Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
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