Holyoke mayor in hot seat
Denies allegations as 2 officials ask him to resign and UMass starts investigation
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse is vehemently denying allegations of “inappropriate behavior” — now under investigation by UMass Amherst following accusations by three college Democrat student groups — and is pledging to remain in his congressional primary race against U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.
“I have never used my position of power as Mayor and UMass lecturer for romantic or sexual gain, or to take advantage of students. I have never violated UMass policy. Any claim to the contrary is false,” said Morse, Holyoke’s first openly gay mayor and a former adjunct instructor who taught a political science class at the university as recently as fall 2019, in a lengthy statement posted to his social media accounts Sunday night.
“As I’ve acknowledged, I have had consensual relationships with other men, including students enrolled at local universities that I’ve met using dating apps,” he said.
College Democrats of Massachusetts, UMass Amherst Democrats and Amherst College Democrats issued a joint email to Morse Thursday telling the 31-year-old he was “no longer welcome” at their events after acting in ways that “made young college students uncomfortable,” according to a copy obtained by the Herald.
UMass Amherst said in a statement Saturday that it was “launching an immediate review of the matter to determine whether the alleged actions during his time as a university lecturer were in violation of university policy or federal Title IX law.” Morse is not currently an employee of the university.
Morse said he believes the UMass investigation “will clear my name completely of any unethical conduct” and is pledging his “full support and participation.” But he said it’s “unfortunate that these allegations came three weeks” before his congressional primary against Neal, “because there isn’t enough time for UMass to conduct an independent review before the people of this district vote” before Sept. 1.
He also gave the numerous progressive groups and officials supporting him an out — releasing his endorsers “if they feel they need to rescind their support.”
College Democrats of Massachusetts said in a statement posted to Twitter Sunday ahead of Morse’s that his stature in the political community and his role as a former adjunct instructor at UMass Amherst “makes the task of refusing his advances fraught for college students who wish to enter progressive politics themselves.”
The group’s statement also knocks the idea that sending the letter was a “quid pro quo” deal with Neal’s campaign.
Holyoke City Councilors Michael Sullivan and Linda Vaco have called for the four-term mayor to resign and for investigations at the local level.