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All Three Democratic Women Running for Ohio Governor Say Justice O'Neill Should Resign

Ideastream Public Media | By Mark Arehart

Published November 17, 2017 at 4:18 PM EST

Three women who are running for the Democratic nomination for governor -- Congresswoman Betty Sutton, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and former state Rep. Connie Pillich -- are calling for Ohio Supreme Court justice Bill O’Neill to resign over comments he made on Facebook alluding to his sexual past.

In response to sexual harassment allegations against Senator Al Franken, O’Neill wrote that he has been "sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females."

The post Bill O'Neill modified to omit some of the information identifying women.

“As a Democrat, I’m horrified that a statewide candidate would belittle victims of sexual harassment and assault in the way that he did. And as a women I’m outraged that he would equate sexual assault with indiscretion. It’s wrong to trivialize this,” Sutton said in a phone interview.

Whaley and Pillich both condemned O'Neill on Twitter.

Ohio's Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper also called the post "terrible," tweeting that "we're having a serious national conversation about rape culture and sexual harassment, and it's crucial for men to take time to listen to women and consider their experiences and insights."