LANSING, Mich.—A lobbyist with the Michigan Credit Union League is among the women alleging a state senator acted inappropriately and sexually harassed her.
Melissa Osborn, a regulatory affairs specialist with the MCUL, is the third woman to allege state Sen. Peter Lucido touched her inappropriately and made statements that made her feel uncomfortable.
Osborn told Crain’s Detroit that during the league’s governmental affairs conference in May of 2019, she was distributing name badges when Lucido first made a comment about her reddish hair. She told Crain’s she thought nothing about it until 10 minutes later, when she felt a hand on her hip. It was Lucido’s hand.
“Osborn said she suddenly found herself being ‘uncomfortably’ held by the first-term Republican senator from Shelby Township as he started commenting about her red-and-black plaid dress and how it looked on her,” Crain’s reported.
"He was looking at me up and down," Osborn told Crain's. "And he stayed there for several minutes, making these comments about my appearance and my look and what he liked about it."
During the entire interaction, Lucido's hand remained on what Osborn described to Crain’s as "my lower back/upper butt."
"He wasn't cupping my butt, but (his hand) was definitely not really all on my back either," Osborn told the publication. "It was in a strange spot, like he was toeing the line intentionally but still making me very uncomfortable."
Third Woman to Make Claim
Osborn is the third woman who works in Lansing to come forward in the past two weeks and publicly accuse Lucido of workplace sexual harassment in and around the capitol, according to Crain’s.
Lucido declined comment when told about Osborn's allegations.
"I've got no comment for you because I've got no comment," Lucido told a Crain's reporter. "Is that OK?"
Lucido received national attention earlier after 22-year-old reporter Allison Donohoe alleged Lucido said to her a group of Catholic schoolboys who were nearby “could have a lot of fun” with her while she was attempting to interview him at the Capitol.
Senator ‘Categorically Denies’ Accusations
Referring to one other woman’s allegation that was similar to that made by Osborn, Lucido issued a statement saying, "I categorically deny this allegation, which I believe is completely untrue and politically motivated."
"He's blatantly denying something that's identical to what happened to me," Osborn told Crain’s.
Osborn told Crain’s Lucido stopped touching her when Kevin Gawronski, who was previously with the Michigan league, stepped over and attempted to direct the senator to a room where he could meet with credit union representatives from his 8th District in Macomb County.
Osborn also told Crain’s she had informed superiors with the Michigan league of her discomfort with the alleged situation.