Ohio mayor resigns after linking ice fishing to prostitution

An Ohio mayor has resigned after making controversial remarks linking ice fishing to prostitution, which he called a failed attempt at dry humor, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

On Monday, Hudson Mayor Craig Shubert submitted his resignation letter to the city’s clerk. 

Shubert made national headlines for comments he made during a Tuesday council meeting, in which he suggested that allowing ice fishing at a local park could lead to more prostitution in the city.

“My comments at Tuesday’s workshop were made out of concern for our community; what could become of unintended consequences of new legislation, based on my prior television news reporting experience,” Shubert wrote in his resignation letter, per the Beacon Journal.

“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,” he added.  

“Some in our community saw this as an opportunity to engage in the politics of personal destruction by means of character assassination, blaming me for the negative international press they helped to promote.”

Shubert also sparked controversy last year for calling for board members to resign from their positions for an optional book in a college-level class at a high school that he called “child pornography,” the Beacon Journal reported. 

In a review, Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh’s office rebuked Shubert’s claims of child pornography and the scores of threats against school board members that followed.

During the latest meeting, Shubert raised a theoretical warning about allowing ice fishing at the park. 

“Does someone come back next year and say I want an ice shanty on Hudson Springs Park for X amount of time?” Shubert asked at the meeting. “And if you then allow ice fishing with shanties, then that leads to another problem. Prostitution. Now you’ve got the police chief and the police department involved.”

Shubert added in his resignation letter that he had been already been pondering retirement. “City Hall is entering a new era. My role as a change agent is complete,” he said. 

In a statement, Hudson City Council President Chris Foster said he and his fellow colleagues appreciate Shubert’s service as mayor, according to the Beacon Journal. 

“City Council appreciates the time and dedication that Mayor Shubert has put in to serving the citizens of Hudson,”  Foster said. “We respect his decision and wish him the best in the future.”

Updated at 3:30 p.m.