Before Fort Myers City Council's meeting Monday afternoon, about two dozen members of the Lee County NAACP showed up outside Fort Myers City Hall calling for the resignation of Mayor Kevin Anderson. Others repeated the plea during public comment.
Waving signs saying “Hell No, Kevin Must Go” and “Sexual Predator,” NAACP members marched around the block and chanted before the City Council meeting. They reacted to allegations by several men that Anderson had solicited them for sex.
Local NAACP President James Muwakkil spoke for the group.
"We want to raise the level of visibility for justice. Those two young men and perhaps others have not had justice.
"It looks more like a cover-up. And the City Council has a lot to do with that because they're sworn to uphold, they take an oath to where they are sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, not to protect the mayor. They should be asking the mayor to please step down because it's tarnishing the city of Fort Myers’ image."
One of the accusers, Dominic Hendricks, 18. was among several others who during public comment for a second time called for Anderson’s resignation, as well as additional investigation and for the Council to act on the matter. Before the meeting began, Hendricks said he felt that as a victim, he believed it was his civic duty to continue to raise the issue.
Denise Nystrom was among those speaking at the meeting.
"I am standing here before you tonight because our community faces a public trust issue, while you have remained silent and actionless since the last council meeting when two men from the community brought this issue to your attention. These are serious detailed allegations of sexual misconduct. We have heard accounts, we have seen reports of body cam footage, and we have seen the mayor step down from municipal local community boards. Yet you have taken no formal action," she said.
"The public allegations and evidence describe a clear violation of state law 796.07, which explicitly outlaws the solicitation of sexual activity for hire."
"I understand this council cannot force the mayor to resign," said Jacqueline Perez. "But you can respectfully ask him to step down while these allegations are being investigated. Please do that and ask the city manager to bring an independent investigator from outside.
"Young people deserve the safety and protection of this council and of our community. Please take these allegations seriously and demand answers. Are you waiting for this to become a Bill Cosby or a Harvey Weinstein court case before you act? And if you can't see that there is a serious problem going on here and that we need answers, then what will it take?"
Anderson has maintained that the young men's accounts were taken out of context and a "false narrative." He did not comment during or after the meeting, and neither did members of City Council.
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