{UAH} Second woman who accused Fairfax of assault was subject of 2008 restraining order
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By ANITA KUMAR and MAGGIE SEVERNS
02/12/2019 05:38 PM EST
Meredith Watson is one of two women who have accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault. | Logan Cyrus/AFP/Getty Images
A woman who alleged Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax raped her in college was accused of harassing and threatening a man she had a relationship with, according to Maryland court records.
The man sought and received a restraining order against Meredith Watson in July 2008, the records show.
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In a petition for the restraining order, obtained by POLITICO, the man described an incident in which Watson "was detaining me against my will missing [and] not letting me leave" a vacation house in Corolla, North Carolina, and "dented the trunk" of his vehicle with her fist. In another instance, Watson showed up at his house stating "she was going to kill herself" and sent "threatening text messages" to the man, who had his sister come over to persuade her to leave, according to the document.
Watson's spokeswoman, Karen Kessler, did not comment for this story, nor did the man who filed the request for the restraining order. Through his office, Fairfax also declined to comment.
Watson, now 39, is one of two women who have accused Fairfax of sexual assault, leading to calls for his resignation from state and national Democrats. She came forward last week to say that Fairfax had raped her in 2000, while they both attended Duke University, and her attorney provided statements from friends and electronic messages corroborating her account. Fairfax has denied the allegation.
Watson also told friends she was raped by former Duke University basketball player Corey Maggette, according to a report in The New York Times. "I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my life and I completely and categorically deny any such charge," responded Maggette, later a longtime NBA player.
Watson indicated that she decided to come forward after California college professor Vanessa Tyson issued a public statement last week that said Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex in his hotel room during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.
The petition against Watson also stated that, "Within 30 days the respondent was at my home and wouldn't leave [and] the respondent was throwing property and I had to call my sister over [to] the house to make her leave. On numerous occasions respondent has stated she was going to kill herself," the petition stated.
"This isn't the first time or occurrence," the man wrote.
The petition said Watson called the man "around 100 times a day" during the days following the vacation house incident and sent him text messages.
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"I am going to enjoy tearing you down just as much as you enjoyed tearing me down. Hang on tight because you are in for a ride!" read one of the alleged text messages that the man transcribed on the petition.
The man was granted a peace order, a version of a restraining order in the state of Maryland for people who are not spouses or domestic partners.
After Watson made her allegation, Fairfax said it "is obvious that a vicious and coordinated smear campaign is being orchestrated against me."
But many prominent Democrats have called on him to resign. They include the Legislative Black Caucus, the Democratic state House and Senate caucuses, nearly the state's entire congressional delegation, Sen. Tim Kaine, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and several presidential candidates.
A Democratic state House member has begun working on articles of impeachment against Fairfax but postponed introducing them after concerns by his colleagues.
If Fairfax leaves office, Northam — or whoever the sitting governor is — has the right to appoint a new lieutenant governor. However, the appointment would be short-lived: An election would be held in November, when the entire state legislature is up for election, to fill out the remaining two years of Fairfax's original four-year lieutenant governor term.
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