COMMERCIAL POINT, Ohio — Commercial Point Village Council voted July 6 to formally censure one of its own members, taking a rare disciplinary step after a resolution accused Councilman Eric Nungester of making misogynistic remarks toward a fellow council member and using a racial slur inside council chambers.
Public censures of elected officials are uncommon in local government, and the vote marked one of the more notable actions taken by a Pickaway County legislative body in recent years, according to the village’s Facebook page.
Council President Pro Tempore Dustyn Fox introduced the resolution, telling council he took “no joy” in bringing it forward but said accountability is necessary when mistakes are made and that rebuilding public trust begins with recognizing those mistakes, the village said in a post.
The resolution alleged that Nungester made offensive, demeaning and misogynistic remarks toward Councilwoman Courtney Denton during the May 18 council meeting. It also alleged that, during a separate conversation following an April Committee of the Whole meeting, Nungester used a racial slur inside council chambers. The resolution stated the alleged conduct violated the village’s rules of decorum and ethical standards for elected officials, according to the post.
Council voted to approve the censure, with Fox, Councilman Ezekiel Miller, Councilwoman Patricia Anderson and Denton voting in favor. Councilman Jay Weaver abstained.
Following the vote, Nungester challenged portions of the resolution, questioning what statutory authority allowed council to require him to complete workplace conduct and anti-harassment training. He also questioned whether an adequate investigation had been conducted before the censure was brought forward, the village said.
The meeting took another turn when council reached an agenda item on censuring council members generally — a topic added because Nungester had previously submitted his own censure request against Denton. After council voted to censure him, Nungester indicated he no longer wished to pursue his complaint against Denton.
Denton asked Mayor Nancy Geiger if she could still respond, explaining that the allegations against her had already been entered into the public record. Geiger granted the request, and Denton delivered a detailed response disputing Nungester’s allegations point by point, addressing claims involving previous council meetings, public records requests and conversations with public officials, according to the post.
The nearly two-hour meeting reflected tensions that have surrounded the village council in recent months. The censure is now part of the village’s permanent record regardless of differing opinions about the underlying allegations or the outcome, the village said.
Commercial Point, in Scioto Township, is one of the fastest-growing villages in central Ohio. Its population more than doubled between 2000 and 2010 and grew by nearly 95% over the following decade, reaching 3,078 residents at the 2020 census, according to U.S. Census data. The community traces its roots to 1841, when it was platted as the settlement of Genoa before being incorporated under that name in 1851 and renamed Commercial Point in 1872.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Commercial Point Village Council.
