Ex-Virginia governor says he’s contesting harassment probe

RICHMOND, Va. – Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder says he is contesting an investigator’s finding that he kissed a university student six decades his junior without her consent.

Wilder posted on his website Monday that he has filed a statement with Virginia Commonwealth University rejecting an investigator’s findings.

The student, Sydney Black, has previously filed a complaint to police and school officials, saying Wilder took her to dinner on her 20th birthday, gave her alcohol and kissed her.

An independent investigator recently found that Wilder had kissed Black without consent but cleared him of three other allegations the student made, of sexual exploitation, sex-based discrimination and retaliation.

Wilder, who was the nation’s first elected black governor and teaches at VCU, denied “any non-consensual sexual contact.”

VCU will review Wilder’s statement before making a final determination in the case.

The investigation was conducted by an attorney at the request of VCU.