RICHMOND, Va. — The nation's first elected African American governor says a review panel has cleared him of allegations from a college student who accused him of kissing her without her consent.
Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder held a news conference Thursday to address the complaint made by a Virginia Commonwealth University student who said the 88-year-old Wilder took her to dinner for her 20th birthday, gave her alcohol and kissed her.
An independent investigation commission by VCU concluded he had kissed the student, Sydney Black, without her consent. Wilder contested that investigation and said Thursday that an internal review panel rejected its finding and determined he was not responsible for nonconsensual sexual contact.
Wilder was elected governor in 1989. He later served a term as Richmond's mayor and teaches at VCU.