Ohio mayor resigns after suggesting ice fishing could lead to prostitution in viral video
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UPDATE: Hudson Mayor Craig Shubert has resigned less than a week after suggesting during a city council meeting that ice fishing leads to prostitution.
“My comments at Tuesday’s workshop were made out of concern for our community; what could become of unintended consequences of new legislation ... My attempt to inject a bit of dry humor to make a point about this, in the midst of a cold, snowy February, was grossly misunderstood,” Shubert said in his resignation letter.
Shubert said his comments led community members to attack his character and blame him for the negative attention the city received.
He said it was time for him to retire and that the city’s government is in a new era.
“My role as a change agent is complete,” he wrote.
Original story:An Ohio mayor’s comment during a city council meeting — suggesting that legalizing ice fishing could lead to prostitution — is drawing unwanted attention, criticism and a few jokes.
As seen in the video of the interaction, Hudson city council members on Feb. 8 discussed potential liability concerns if ice fishing were to be allowed at Hudson Springs Parks.
That’s when Hudson Mayor Craig Shubert suggested that ice fishing could potentially lead to ice shanties, which are portable sheds on frozen lakes used for ice fishing.
“If you open this up to ice fishing, while on the surface it sounds good, then what happens next year?” Shubert asked. “Does somebody come back and say, ‘I want an ice shanty in Hudson Springs Park for ‘X’ amount of time?”
Shubert then brought up an unexpected point.
“And if you then allow ice fishing with shanties, then that leads to another problem – prostitution,” he said. “Just some data points to consider.”
While the council member to his left looked at the mayor quizzically, silence followed for until one attendee cracked, “That’s why I’m not in favor of shanties.”
Since then Shubert, who is a Republican, has received ridicule for his comments from numerous Democrats in the area.
“The Mayor of Hudson, Craig Shubert, believes ice fishing will lead to prostitution,” Summit County Democrats wrote on Twitter. “Can someone HOOK us up with the data that supports this statement?”
A fellow council member was frustrated — perhaps embarrassed? — with Shubert’s comments.
“Such a shame that our wonderful town of Hudson, OH has made national (international?) news yet again,” Hudson councilwoman Nicole Kowalski wrote on Twitter.
Hudson, with a population of roughly 22,000, is a suburb north of Akron.
Shubert has previously been in the spotlight for “reckless conduct” in September when he demanded school board members resign — after he accused them of allowing child pornography in a class.
He provided a statement to WJW regarding his prostitution comments, explaining that he has experience of reporting on prostitution in ice shanties.
“My comment about ice fishing, the permitting of shanties on lakes, and prostitution stems from my experience as a former television news reporter covering law enforcement agencies, which have made arrests for acts of prostitution in ice fishing shanties,” he said in a statement to the news outlet. “When discussing proposed legislation, it is wise to discuss the potential for unintended consequences. My statement was to enlighten council that the future permitting of ice shanties may lead to other issues.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 6:29 PM.
