Co-owner departs The Union Bar & Grill after sexual assault allegations

The Union Bar and Grill decided to call for co-owner Eric Gunn's "permanent departure" after he was accused of sexual assault on social media. 

[dropcap txtcolor="#234a83" style="dropcap1"]I[/dropcap]t all began when the People’s Justice League posted a local musician’s account of her multiple rapes by Eric Gunn on their Facebook page.  “Over a decade ago, I was raped by Eric Gunn, co-owner of the Union and former co-owner of Haffa’s Records. That’s what they call it when a sober person has sex with a person too drunk to walk home,” she wrote.In response to these allegations, the People’s Justice League initially removed The Union from their Active Bystander Coalition, a group of local businesses that have “signed the Active Bystander Coalition Promise and completed our 2 hour training program on bystander intervention and supporting survivors of harassment and assault,” according to their website.[AdSense-A]After learning about these allegations, The Union released a statement on their Facebook page announcing that they had decided to cut ties with Eric Gunn. The Union is now solely owned by Andrew Studniarz. “The Union Bar has historically prided itself as a safe space, one that is an accepting and welcoming environment for all clients and staff,” The Union’s statement said.“We endeavor to continue to create this environment and foster the true mission of The Union Bar, which is a safe, open-minded celebration of music and the arts.”The Union’s statement also included the phone number to the Southeast Ohio Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program, which can be reached at 1-888-597-7267.Two days after The Union’s announcement, the People’s Justice League restored The Union to their Active Bystander Coalition, stating that they are “more than pleased” with their response.  Eric Gunn, who previously ran for Athens City Council, has denied all allegations against him through his lawyer, K. Robert Toy.   A statement released over the weekend via The Union’s lawyer, Rusty Rittenhouse, highlighted the fact that Eric Gunn had no association with The Union at the time of these alleged assaults, as reported by The Athens News.Eric Gunn currently faces no legal or criminal charges against him. At the time of reporting, it is unclear if he will face any charges for these allegations.