State Representative Jevin Hodge (D-District 8) acknowledged on Monday that he was accused of sexual misconduct as a college student in 2015, but claimed police would not hear his side of events.
Hodge acknowledged a Monday article which revealed he was banned from the George Washington University campus after he allegedly tried forcing a woman to have sex with him in 2015, but claimed the encounter ended without any aggressive act.
“Months later, I learned that she accused me of sexual misconduct,” Hodge explained in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I take responsibility for all my actions and have used this experience to grow as an adult, but I must be clear: I unequivocally deny the allegations made against me.”
He claimed that, in 2016, he “requested that the police fully investigate these claims so the truth could come out,” but his “request was denied” by university police.
Regardless, Hodge explained, “During the University hearing on this matter, I could see that I caused her emotional pain. I am sincerely sorry for the distress that I caused her.”
My statement on the Arizona Republic article out today: pic.twitter.com/OIRoFZO4JE
— Representative Jevin D. Hodge (@JevinHodge) March 18, 2024
Hodge, who was appointed to the Arizona House of Representatives in January, made the statement in response to The Arizona Republic‘s article detailing the allegations that saw him banished from the university.
According to Hodge’s alleged victim, the lawmaker grabbed her by the hair while in a hotel room and attempted to force her to have sex “while sticking her head out of a window.”
The university ultimately suspended Hodge for one semester and banned him from the campus.
While Hodge said in his statement that he intends to remain focused on serving the people of his district, Democratic leaders in the Arizona House of Representatives issued a statement pledging to support “survivors of sexual violence.”
“It was disturbing to learn about the accusations and university disciplinary actions involving Representative Hodge from 10 years ago, which had not previously been disclosed to our caucus,” the Democratic leaders wrote in their statement.
The statement from leadership explained they “are working to gather more information, and we will discuss this matter as a caucus and directly with Rep. Hodge before taking any steps or making further comment.”
Hodge in 2022 secured the Democratic Party’s nomination to challenge U.S. Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ-01), and nearly unseated the Republican in a tight election.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jevin Hodge” by Jevin Hodge. Photo “George Washington University” by George Washington University.
