Posts Tagged ‘National Action Network’

Tony Wafford

In an exclusive heard here in The Mo’Kelly Report, former plaintiff Sharon Song Byrd detailed her allegations of sexual harassment and battery against former employer and Al Sharpton confidante, Tony Wafford.

Originally Song Byrd was awarded $60,000 in compensatory damages for her troubles, but recently the court handed down a second judgment against Wafford in the amount of $235,972 in court and legal fees.

Oh my damn!

And you know how we do it here…only the facts and documentation.

Click HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Another EXCLUSIVE from The Mo’Kelly Report.

Tony Wafford

Tony Wafford of the National Action Network (NAN) will have to pony up $60,000 for his part in the sexual harassment of former employee Sharon Song Byrd while they worked together as part of the NAN sister organization, Palms Residential Care Facility.

The judgment was handed down Tuesday! (Damn Mo’Kelly is fast!)

Pursuant to the original verdict, NAN announced that Wafford would be taking a leave of absence and Sharpton questioned the motives of Song Byrd, intimating that the plaintiff was trying to shakedown NAN.

Mo’Kelly spoke with Song Byrd’s attorney Jeffrey Cowan earlier today and he offered the following:

Although we were hoping the judgment would have been more substantial, we are pleased that the judge recognized the real abuse my client suffered. The most important thing is that the judge sends a message that can’t be ignored. If you commit a civil rights violation, you can be held responsible for your actions.”

Cowan also indicated that he will be filing a motion for Wafford to pay for all of Song Byrd’s legal fees, which will be both extensive and expensive given the 2.5 years the case has been in existence.  The $60,000 will likely grow exponentially in nature with a solid judgment to undergird it.

No word from NAN on this latest announcement, but the information has been forwarded to NAN spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger for comment.

See the court documents HERE.

Related: 

Mo’Kelly Interviews Plaintiff Sharon Song Byrd (Part I)

Mo’Kelly Interviews Song Byrd (Part II)

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal.  Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly and contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Listen HERE!

Sharon Song Byrd

Sharon Song Byrd is still very much uncomfortable discussing the details behind what led up to her successful lawsuit against Tony Wafford of the National Action Network. In close to three hours of conversation, Song Byrd recounted at length and great detail her fear of Wafford showing up at her house at all hours of the night, throwing rocks at her window and an overall inability to accept the fact that his advances were unwanted.

In fact, Song Byrd is still skittish about letting any man know where she lives and requested our conversation be on neutral ground.

I obliged.

So please excuse the sounds of the passing traffic and cooling fans. This was not a typical studio conversation and Song Byrd’s story is anything but typical. Although a similar request was made to Tony Wafford to hear his side on these issues, the request went unanswered.

From evidence concerning questionable accounting and employment practices designed to avoid paying payroll taxes, to extensive police reports and a book’s worth of instant messages printed as proof of a rapport…Song Byrd’s record keeping is exceptional. It would take the average person weeks to effectively comb through and digest all of her material, despite its neat and orderly presentation.

It is voluminous, precise and formidable.

Today in The Mo’Kelly Report, I am pleased to present Part One of a two-part conversation with Song Byrd. In Part One, Song Byrd details the nature of her employment relationship with Tony Wafford, the abuse she endured and the .357 magnum that Wafford illegally carried with him daily as an unstated reminder.

Friday in Part Two, Song Byrd in her own words responds to Reverend Al Sharpton’s recent open letter, offering behind the scenes information which may shed a different light on these issues; whether she ever intended to sue the National Action Network, and in closing offer advice to other women who may find themselves in similar straits.

The story thus far has centered around Song Byrd, Wafford and Sharpton, but it is also worthy of mention that it should also include Wafford friend and confidante Democratic California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who went so far as taking then Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to Wafford’s home, even though Wafford was in the midst of a sexual harassment and battery lawsuit.

Let’s not be naïve, Waters would likely claim ignorance (as does Sharpton) concerning these issues as they were transpiring, but unlike Sharpton she has had offered nothing publicly on these issues since the story broke.

Let’s not be naïve but let’s also be clear.

Congresswoman Waters having nothing to say in the wake of the mistreatment and abuse of an African-American woman in her own backyard says volumes. For all the talk of Sharpton, there should be some concerning Waters too.  Mo’Kelly will hit more on that in the coming days.

But I digress…

With no further ado…Sharon Song Byrd, in her own words Part One…another exclusive from The Mo’Kelly Report.

Listen HERE!

WARNING: This conversation contains objectionable language and imagery; wholly unsuitable for children. Please use discretion when listening in the presence of young people.

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit http://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Mo’Kelly sits for more than 3 hours with Sharon Song Byrd who has been in an open letter battle of late with Rev. Al Sharpton over Tony Wafford.  In an exclusive for The Mo’Kelly Report, Sharon details her side of the issues leading up to her successful lawsuit against Wafford, her intentions relative to Sharpton in the wake of the verdict and her advice for women who may find themselves in similar situations.

Sharon Song Byrd…in her own words…

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit http://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

Free Subscription to The Mo’Kelly Report HERE

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The Mo’Kelly Reportprides itself on documentation.  With no further

Tony Wafford

ado…let’s get to it!  Be warned, they are graphic in nature.

SEE HERE!

And HERE!

And HERE!

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit http://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

Free Subscription to The Mo’Kelly Report HERE

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Full Disclosures:

Mo’Kelly knows and has known Sharon Song Byrd for more than 15 years.  She is like my sister and we even share the same birthday.  Mo’Kelly has known about the incidents and eventual lawsuit for years, just couldn’t make mention of it publicly for obvious reasons.

Mo’Kelly knows and has known Tony Wafford too for years and has worked with him in conjunction with Rev. Al’s radio show on a number of occasions.  This story is of HUGE interest to The Mo’Kelly Report!  Will see if BOTH will come in and tell their sides!

From EURWEB.com

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*Tongues are wagging over the bombshell revelation this week that Tony

Tony Wafford

Wafford, the West Coast Coordinator for the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN), has lost a sexual harassment and battery lawsuit that was filed last fall by his employee, Sharon Song Byrd.  Song Byrd was a program administrator at the Palms Residential Center where Wafford ran Los Angeles County-funded AIDS/HIV programs.

Because of the case’s outcome, a coalition of African American women’s groups have angrily called for the resignation of  Wafford and have threatened Sharpton with a possible boycott of his radio sponsors if demands are not met.

Wafford is a sexual deviant and pervert, he should not be in a role of leadership with Rev. Sharpton or any other respectable leader,” declared Sister Lee of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Black Women’s Network (LAactivists@aol.com). “Now that Wafford has had his day in court, we want Sharpton to send a message that he respects black women and will protect us from those that represent him and his group.  We support Sharpton, but we have no problem calling for a national boycott of him if black women don’t have his support.”

Wafford, who is well connected to many political and religious figures in Southern California, is scheduled to begin a new trial continuation hearing Monday (July 18, 2011) to determine the total amount of damages he must pay. The nine-day trial in Superior Court as reported by the LA Wave’s Betty Pleasant,  revealed lurid details of egregious acts by Wafford in an attempt to get Song Byrd to have sex with him. Wafford, who incidentally, is married to a captain in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, reportedly took his penis out of his pants in his office and told Song Byrd to “come and sit on it.”

Song Byrd said that during another unsavory encounter, she angrily rebuffed Wafford’s sexual advances which caused Wafford, who was wearing a huge diamond ring, to strike her on the hand. Song Byrd said that the incident caused inoperable nerve damage.

The jury ruled in Song Byrd’s favor, agreeing that the long suffering employee had been continuously and sexually harassed by Wafford; that he had committed a battery when he hit her and that he will have to pay all of Song Byrd’s medical bills as well as the services of a psychologist due to emotional distress.

Sharpton issued a response to EURweb through his spokesperson, Rachel Noerdlinger, stating that he and his National Action Network/NAN organization had not been advised of any of the allegations against Wafford by Sharon Song Byrd:

National Action Network learned of the case today upon receiving your email and we have never been advised of any of the allegations against Mr. Wafford by Sharon Song Byrd.  To our knowledge, NAN was not named in the lawsuit nor is Ms. Byrd a NAN employee but we take these allegations very seriously and ask you to share the lawsuit with us for our general counsel’s immediate review. While NAN has never been contacted by anyone affiliated with this case since last Fall, we are concerned that Rev. Sharpton and NAN are being brought in almost a year later, including threats against his radio show advertisers who have absolutely no affiliation with National Action Network.”

EUR was able to get in touch with Song Byrd who seemed surprised that NAN had no knowledge of case. She said that as the head of the Los Angeles chapter Wafford was “obligated” to tell Rev. Sharpton of the charges against him. We’ll have more from Sharon Song Byrd in another report later today.

In the meantime, Wafford has fired the attorney who lost his case and will defend himself Monday at 10 a.m. in LA County Superior Court in another trial that will assess the non-economic damages he will pay Song Byrd, including emotional distress and pain and suffering.

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WOWZERS!