The Albemarle County Democratic Party has released a statement calling on Scottsville representative Chris Dumler to step down from the county Board of Supervisors in light of his guilty plea to a charge of sexual battery in January.
The statement was released Sunday evening following a party meeting, and reads as follows:
“In light of Scottsville District Supervisor Christopher Dumler’s recent plea of guilty to a charge of sexual battery, the Committee has decided to remove him from the Albemarle County Democratic Committee and call for his resignation from the Board of Supervisors.
Mr. Dumler has accomplished much good work on behalf of the citizens of Scottsville District and of Albemarle County. However, the behavior for which Mr. Dumler has accepted responsibility does not reflect Democratic values and standards, nor the standard to which we hold our elected officials. We cannot support his continued service.”
The city’s party officials issued their own more forcefully worded statement later the same night:
“As Democrats of Charlottesville, we stand for the fair treatment of all, abhor all forms of sexual exploitation and strongly support the Violence Against Women Act. We find it inappropriate for someone who has pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual battery to hold the office of supervisor in our neighboring county. The citizens of Charlottesville and other neighboring communities have a need for Albemarle’s government to function effectively in this closely-knit region. As fellow Democrats we urge Mr. Dumler to heed the counsel of elected officials and community leaders and resign.”
Dumler was arrested in October for forcible sodomy after a woman he said was his lover accused him of forcing anal sex on her. He plead guilty to the lesser charge—a misdemeanor—January 31, allowing him to avoid the chance of a felony conviction and continue serving on the Board. Calls for his resignation have become louder in the weeks that followed. Last week, Dumler released a statement of apology, but also said he plans to continue to serve.
The statements from his fellow local Democrats mark the first time either party organization has officially spoken up on Dumler’s continued presence on the Board since the plea.
Visit c-ville.com Monday for more from party officials.
