Herve Comeau - A Predator in Disguise
After accusations of sexual abuse, manipulation, and violence against local activist Herve Comeau, Syracuse's Common Council on Monday introduced a request to remove him from the Citizen Review Board.
On June 10, a petition from Black Lives
Matter Syracuse went viral online, claiming that four women had come forward
with Comeau-related tales. Since the petition's release, 419 people have signed
it. The council did not explain its decision to fire Comeau. According to the
agenda, his removal was requested in accordance with Section 5, (1) e of Local
Law 11-1993, which says that the CRB may ask the Common Council to remove a
board member when necessary by a simple majority vote.
A BLM Syracuse Medium blog post from July 19
has testimonies from those who claim Comeau abused them. Comeau is a graduate
of Syracuse University, a former BLM Syracuse activist, and the Volunteer
Lawyers Project of Onondaga County's immigration pro bono coordinator. Comeau
has voiced opposition to, among other things, police brutality, the Muslim ban,
and Columbus Day.
Survivors Tell Their Stories
Five victims of the emotional, psychological,
and sexual abuse perpetrated by Herve Yves Comeau have made the decision to
share their experiences through connections with one another and a dedication
to collective organizing.
In order to aid in their own rehabilitation
and foster a sense of community among those who have also been hurt by Herve
Yves Comeau, survivors share their tales. The severe trauma, psychological
suffering, and physical pain that Herve inflicted on the survivors were ignored
for much too long, and they felt isolated from society. They each made an
effort to mend the harm and toll that his abuse had inflicted on their personal
and professional life. One step on the road to communal healing and reclaiming
their lives is sharing their tales. The organizers and survivors invite readers
and organizations to join this movement for accountability and transformational
justice by taking specific activities after sharing their personal stories. The
accounts of the survivors are summarized below; click on the links to read the
full accounts.
SURVIVORS SHARE THEIR STORIES
The attempted rape of a survivor who was
close with Herve is described. He told her he didn't date people darker than
himself and wasn't drawn to Black women, so at first she thought that as a
Black woman she was safe from his sexual advances. She now thinks that part of
why he tried to coerce her into having sex with him was because she is a Black
woman.
Herve Comeau forced me upstairs, away from
the other guests, on the evening of March 20, 2015, during a graduate student
reading hosted in a private home in Syracuse, and made an attempt to rape me. I
repeatedly uttered the word "no." I had trouble. I commanded him to
halt. I acknowledged my discomfort. I shoved him. I begged. He hurt me in the
body. I was able to leave after he continued until his roommate interrupted.
Please keep what you just read in mind. This guy is a predator. READ THE FULL ACCOUNT HERE.
A second survivor, Herve's acquaintance,
recalls going to his flat to hang out with him and his roommate, as she
frequently did before. Her drinking was encouraged this time, though, and once
she became inebriated, Herve forced a kiss and raped her sexually.
On November 3, 2017, despite my protests,
Herve forcefully and violently kissed me, put me on his bed, climbed on top of
me, and ripped my shirt off. He accepted his guilt and promised that it
wouldn't happen again when I confronted him to clarify that this was not
consensual. Later, though, he deflected blame and trivialized his conduct. READ THE FULL ACCOUNT HERE.
Another survivor talks about a two-year
relationship with Herve during which they cohabitated and he employed a number
of tactics to keep her distant from her friends and family and to cast doubt on
her perception of reality, even going so far as to direct the topics of her
one-on-one therapy sessions.
Herve and I were romantically involved for
almost two years. Herve mistreated me psychologically, emotionally, and
intellectually throughout our relationship. He forced me to tell him things I
didn't want to. He insisted I take my medication and drink. He tortured me by
making up stories, and on occasion, he would keep me up late until I confessed.
After Herve's attack, I was starting to look like my old self. I lost half my
hair, and had to entirely stop working on my art. READ THE FULL ACCOUNT HERE.
One more survivor had a brief romance with
Herve. In order to monitor all encounters, penalize her for disobeying orders,
and once more foster the survivor's sense of isolation from her group, she
tells how Herve progressively monitored and regulated her behavior.
Herve abused me psychologically, emotionally,
and sexually for seven months while we were dating. My sense of self and mental
health suffered greatly as a result of his abuse. My PhD work suffered as a
result of my depression, and I experienced severe suicidal thoughts for the
first time in my life. READ THE FULL ACCOUNT HERE.
NOTE TO OTHER SURVIVORS
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