Boddie shows up for Bend council meeting, but says little
Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 2, 2018
- ORIG 08/01/18 Bend City Council member Nathan Boddie listens during the Bend City Council meeting on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, at Bend City Hall. (Joe Kline/Bulletin photo)
After staying silent for nearly a month and skipping a Bend City Council meeting in the wake of allegations he groped a woman at a bar several years ago, Nathan Boddie quietly returned to the council chambers on Wednesday.
But Boddie, a Democratic state House candidate, largely continued his silence.
Other than voting and saying “no thanks” when it was his turn to report at the end of the meeting, Boddie did not speak.
Boddie hid out in a back room during a council break, and when the council was in session, swiped on his city-issued iPad as two Bend residents told his colleagues they were there to condemn his behavior.
When asked for comment after the meeting, Boddie waved his hand and continued walking to his car.
The embattled House candidate faces several sexual misconduct allegations and has come under widespread condemnation from former supporters, as well as city Councilors Sally Russell and Bill Moseley, Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel and Gov. Kate Brown, for how he responded to those allegations.
Moey Newbold, an environmental activist who works for Central Oregon LandWatch, last month alleged that Boddie groped her in a bar in 2012, when she was 23 and he was a 40-year-old physician. Boddie said he had never been alone with Newbold and accused her of having substance abuse problems.
Aaron Jeffers, a deputy public defender in Deschutes County, told the City Council on Wednesday that it should lead on issues of sexual harassment and misconduct.
“We are not supporting the women of our community,” he said. “Mr. Boddie, please step down and let our community heal.”
Bill Caram, chairman of the Orchard District Neighborhood Association, told the council he was speaking only for himself when he asked the council to condemn Boddie’s behavior. Caram said he was “appalled and disgusted” by Boddie’s response to groping allegations.
“I expect much more from my leaders, and I hope the rest of the city of Bend does as well,” Caram said.
Boddie agreed during the council’s informal work session to support a screening of “Miss Representation,” a documentary about gender stereotypes, as well as to support Russell’s pitch that all city councilors and city committee members take the same harassment training all city staffers take. Russell had previously suggested the requirement in response to allegations about Boddie.
Boddie is running to replace Rep. Knute Buehler, Oregon’s Republican candidate for governor, in a House district heavily targeted by liberals because registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. His campaign first ran into trouble in late June, when FuturePAC, the campaign arm of the House Democrats, announced it was pulling support because of what it described as routinely acting and speaking in a sexist way, using a homophobic slur and encouraging illegal drinking.
Local Democrats continued to support Boddie following the FuturePAC statement, which did not describe the alleged behavior in any detail. But they dropped him after Newbold’s allegations surfaced July 6.
Other than a written statement attacking Newbold’s credibility, Boddie has not spoken publicly since the allegations. He also did not respond to phone calls, text messages, emails and a visit to his home.
Councilor Barb Campbell, who has supported Boddie and even allowed him to use space in her downtown business for his primary campaign, said she hasn’t talked to Boddie since the allegations and has struggled with what to say about the allegations. Voters don’t seem to view sexual misconduct as disqualifying for public office, she said.
“My opinion might be that this man did this despicable thing and he needs to repair his relationship with that particular woman who he has harmed,” Campbell said. “It’s not my opinion that matters.”
— Reporter: 541-633-2160; jshumway@bendbulletin.com
Editor’s note: This article has been corrected. The original version misspelled Bill Caram’s name.
The Bulletin regrets the error.