Tuesday’s primary in Cleveland Heights could result in the city having three mayors in about four months.
Mayor Kahlil Seren, the first directly elected mayor in the city’s history, faces a recall vote in the primary. Earlier this year, a former city employee filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, claiming Seren and his wife, Natalie McDaniel, created a hostile work environment at city hall.
“I worry that the people on our council and the people in the community are so interested in what really has become almost a rabid personal witch hunt,” Seren said about the recall effort in July, “that they are not paying attention to the fact that this kind of disruption can have serious impact on a fledgling organization.”
If recalled, city council president Tony Cuda would serve as mayor until the term ends at the end of the year.
“When the mayor didn't qualify for the ballot, I became concerned that the recall was more necessary than ever because he had nothing to prevent him from taking what I would consider destabilizing actions in his final months in office,” said Jeanne Gordon, a resident who petitioned for the recall, in July.
Seren did not get enough valid signatures to run for re-election in November. Cuda did not make the effort to collect signatures at all.
There are five mayoral candidates in the primary: former community development corporation executive Deanna Bremer Fisher, attorney and former South Euclid councilmember Marty Gelfand, attorney Laura Kingsley Hong and Cleveland Heights City Councilmembers Jim Petras and Davida Russell.
The complaint made by the former city employee accuses McDaniel of making antisemitic and homophobic comments while acting as a de facto representative of the mayor.
The city paid to investigate a seperate complaint made by a different employee. That investigation said there is evidence that McDaniel "cursed, screamed, and was otherwise inappropriate and unprofessional," but her behavior did not create an "unlawful hostile work environment" at city hall because she did not target anyone.
The allegations of a hostile work environment, high staff turnover and the submission of an incomplete 2025 budget were some reasons petitioners said they started the recall campaign.
On several occasions, Seren denied the accusations and said he's faced racial prejudice as mayor.
In addition to the accusations surrounding Seren and McDaniel at city hall, McDaniel became the center of attention in Cleveland Heights again earlier this summer when she was seen on video entering a Coventry Road home allegedly without permission.
McDaniel faces a fourth-degree felony count of trespassing in a habitation with a person present, and a fourth-degree misdemeanor count of criminal trespass. The pretrial is set for later this month.
“Ms. McDaniel adamantly denies the allegations made against her and I will vigorously defend her,” said McDaniel’s attorney David Betras. “There's a recall election and they're trying to weaponize this to hurt the mayor.”
Seren defended McDaniel immediately after the July 30 allegations, saying McDaniel approached the home to try and get a business card from a contractor.
