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Residents urge council to condemn antisemitic remarks; mayor urges filing police reports for hate crimes
Summary
Two residents raised concerns about antisemitic statements they say were made at a local religious institution; council discussion noted the city previously adopted a resolution on antisemitism and the mayor urged victims to file police reports for potential prosecution.
At the Solon City Council meeting two residents used the public comment period to raise concerns about what they described as a recent increase in antisemitic speech affecting students and families in Solon.
Stacy Lopez of Fox Run Drive said antisemitism has increased since Oct. 7, 2023 and urged city leaders to act, saying she was not satisfied with the city’s response to a speaker she described as having made antisemitic statements. Lopez said she had emailed the mayor and the city and had not received a reply; she said the speech had occurred the prior Saturday. At one point Lopez said: “If I can't count on city leaders to tease out an antisemitic speaker that is literally spreading lies about my people … who can I trust?”
Another speaker who identified only as Kapila of Gates Mills criticized council members for not condemning antisemitic remarks and said she had made repeated public comments on the issue without perceived response.
Mayor Krause responded to the comments by noting that the city is among the few Ohio communities to have passed a resolution on antisemitism and emphasized the role of law enforcement and prosecutors for criminal hate incidents. The mayor said the police department’s records for 2024 and 2025 showed no reported hate-crime incidents and told residents: “If you are a victim of a hate crime … you need to file a police report.” He added that prosecutions and enforcement are matters for prosecutors and courts, not the legislative body.
Why it matters: Residents said they feel targeted and urged the council to speak out. The mayor said the proper legal avenue for alleged criminal conduct is a police report and subsequent prosecution where appropriate. No council action was taken at the meeting beyond the mayor’s public remarks; councilmembers acknowledged the remarks and thanked public-safety staff for recent training events earlier in the meeting.
Next steps: The mayor encouraged anyone who believes they have been a victim of a hate crime to file a police report so law enforcement can investigate and, if warranted, prosecutors can pursue charges.
