Kansas state Rep. Coleman arrested, jailed on domestic violence allegation

House Democratic leader calls arrest ‘extremely disturbing news’

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas News Service

Topeka — State Rep. Aaron Coleman was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Sunday on a charge of domestic battery.

Johnson County Jail records indicate he was placed into custody without bond and was scheduled to make a court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

House Democratic Leader Tom Sawyer, who previously demanded Coleman resign, said the arrest of Coleman was “extremely disturbing news” and he said the next step was to gather facts of what allegedly occurred.

“His constituents and the state of Kansas would be better served if he were to resign and get the help he badly needs,” Sawyer said. “However, I want to reiterate again that the House Democratic caucus does not condone this behavior in any way, shape or form.”

Coleman, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, previously apologized for a series of incidents during his childhood that involved online bullying, revenge porn, blackmail and death threats.

In October, he confirmed he was banned from offices of the Kansas Department of Labor after insisting that he be allowed inside a Topeka office. He said he was seeking to help constituents with problems getting unemployment benefits. In addition, he said his status as a state legislator ought to allow the Department of Labor to lower its security protocol.

In the 2020 election, Coleman defeated seven-term incumbent Democratic state Rep. Stan Frownfelter, losing to the teenager by 14 votes. Coleman easily won the general election in the Wyandotte County district.

His underdog campaign centered on adoption of the Green New Deal, legalizing marijuana, expanding Medicare services, women’s rights, free college tuition and reallocating police budgets. He was a fan of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the former candidate for president.

During that 2020 race, Coleman generated controversy by declaring he would find it amusing if people who refused to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic died as a result.

A Wyandotte County judge issued a temporary anti-stalking order against Coleman in 2020 that applied to Frownfelter’s campaign manager.

After Coleman won the House seat, seven female Democratic legislators signed a letter urging Coleman to resign. Coleman declined to quit. A subsequent Kansas House inquiry into his behavior led by Republican lawmakers resulted in issuance of a reprimand. Democratic leadership also refused to assign him to House committees.

Coleman had campaigned for Kansas governor as a write-in independent candidate in 2018. A year later he sought a seat on the Board of Public Utilities in in Kansas City, Kansas.

In 2015, Coleman was arrested at age 14 for threatening to shoot a girl at another high school. He entered a guilty plea to misdemeanor harassment. A former girlfriend of Coleman’s said in 2019 that he choked her twice and urged her to commit suicide.

Kansas Reflector stories, wwwkansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/31/kansas-state-rep-coleman-arrested-jailed-on-domestic-violence-allegation/.

KC NWSL reveal new team name, wrap up season with 3-0 loss

After the team’s 3-0 loss to the OL Reign, team captain Rachel Corsie kept warm with her new Kansas City Current scarf. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

Kansas City’s NWSL team dropped the final game of their inaugural season 3-0 to Portland’s OL Reign, but the game seemed like merely an afterthought to the hype surrounding the announcement of the team’s new name, the Kansas City Current.

A halftime light show set the stage for the announcment, revealed simultaneously on the Legends Field video board, on signs around the field, and on the team’s website and social media.

The Current players took the field in the second half wearing the team’s new crest: a vertical KC, crossed by a sweeping river shape, and adorned by two stars representing championships won by Kansas City FC.

Back to the game, the Current had trouble fighting out of their own end during the first half hour, ceding repeated corner kicks to the Reign. Kansas City’s defense didn’t give up a goal in that stretch, but lost captain Rachel Corsie to an injury in the 23rd minute.

Kansas City’s best opportunity came in the 34th minute, when Lo’eau LaBonta unleashed a shot from just outside the penalty area that passed inches outside the goalpost.

In the 35th minute, the pressure got to Kansas City, which conceded an own goal, a redirection on a Reign shot from distance.

No longer able to play for a tie, Kansas City pushed higher on their offense with five minutes remaining in the half. The change in tactics created sustained pressure, but no goals, and the halftime score was 1-0.

OL Reign didn’t take long to double its lead in the second half. In the 48th minute, Megan Rapinoe sent a corner kick that bounced to the back post where it was knocked in by Eugenie Le Sommer.

The Rapinoe-Le Sommer connection worked again in the 64th minute, this time with a cross into the box that Le Sommer headed home for a 3-0 advantage.

With a sizeable advantage in the late stages of the game, the Reign used all five available substitutions to protect key players as they tune up for the coming NWSL playoffs.

The loss snapped Kansas City’s streak of seven home games without a loss, and the expansion squad’s final record stands at 3 wins, 7 draws, and 14 losses.

The Current has announced the team will play the 2022 season at Children’s Mercy Park. The team’s ambitious plans include a training facility to be built in Riverside, Missouri, and a dedicated $70 million, 11,000 seat stadium to be built on the riverfront in Kansas City, Missouri, in time for the 2024 season.

Sportcaster Aly Trost emceed the ceremony to reveal the new team name and crest. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
The new KC Current crest decorated home plate at Legends Field. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Defender Elizabeth Ball made a sliding challenge to Reign forward Sam Hiatt. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
The ball rolled dangerously close to the goal as Elizabeth Ball and the KC defense warded it off. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Reign forward Eugenie Le Sommer launched a shot over her head on the KC goal. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Kate Del Fava defended against OL Reign forward Sam Hiatt. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
USWNT teammates Megan Rapinoe and Adrianna Franch met on the field. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Reign forward Eugenie Le Sommer headed the ball on goal. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta made a sliding tackle on Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Reign forward Megan Rapinoe launched a shot just wide of the KC goal. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Defender Elizabeth Ball knocked away a shot near the penalty spot. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Midfielder Desiree Scott cleared the ball from the KC 18-yard box. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Forward Kristen Hamilton struggled with defender Lauren Barnes near the Reign goal. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Forward Kristen Hamilton raced toward the Reign goal. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Reign goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi put herself in harm’s way to block a shot by midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)

Faith news

Blessed Sacrament and Christ the King Catholic churches will hold Masses on Sunday, Oct. 31. Sunday Masses at Christ the King are at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and at Blessed Sacrament, Sunday Masses are at 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. For more information, visit the churches’ websites or Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/Christ-the-King-Parish-KCKS-1392808997677579 and www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck.

Casa – Worship House Christian Church, 5217 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will have Sunday services at 11 a.m. Oct. 31. See details at www.facebook.com/casadealabanzaKCKS. For more information, visit Facebook @casadealabanzaKCKS.

Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 31. See details at https://www.facebook.com/ORMBCKC or http://ormbc.org/church-online/.


Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services in person at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, and livestream at https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/ and https://www.opendoorkc.com/.

Our Lady and St. Rose Catholic Church, 2300 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold a Mass in English at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/ourladyandsaintrose.

Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31. Services also will be livestreamed on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch. Sunday school will be at 9 a.m.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold Mass at 7:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m. in Spanish and 2:30 p.m. in Burmese on Sunday, Oct. 31. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickKCK.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31. The service will be available online. See more information at https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsKCK/ or https://www.stpaulskck.org/.

Sunset Hills Christian Church, 6347 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31. For more information about this Sunday’s plans, visit the Facebook page of Pastor Mike Barnett, https://www.facebook.com/mike.barnett.528. Services are also provided through checkout of DVD or SD Card and can be sent by email upon request. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/sunsethills.christianchurch.

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, will have a worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31. A video of the service will be at https://www.facebook.com/Wyandotteumc.

Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
To send in items for the Faith News, email information to [email protected]. Please include your name and contact information.