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Update: Matthew Guska was indicted on two counts of felonious assault on December 7, 2018 for hitting a 157 Lounge patron in the head with a flashlight and injuring him. On May 21, 2019, Guska pleaded guilty to a reduced first-degree misdemeanor charge of assault. He was placed on probation with no jail time and must pay restitution to the victim, who Guska is barred from contacting.
From January-April 2013, Sarah Andrews worked at the popular bar 157 Lounge while getting her undergraduate degree at nearby Kent State (Ohio).
Four and a half years later, Sarah posted on Facebook about her experience working at the bar “to bring attention to a pattern of abusive and threatening behavior towards young students on a college campus.” Sarah identified the perpetrator as the racist and sexually abusive co-owner of 157 Lounge, Matthew Guska. She noted that Guska harassed employees and customers alike (an allegation that is supported by multiple witnesses).
In response, Guska filmed a video of him firing a handgun at a blown-up photo of Sarah’s face. Guska then posted the video online. After Sarah successfully took out out a civil protective order against him, Guska sued her for causing him “emotional distress” with her Facebook post!
A man who threatened to shoot Sarah Andrews is now trying to purposely bankrupt her through the legal system.
Please take the following action to support Sarah:
1) Write a letter to the editor to the Record-Courier or KentWired (Kent State student news) in support of Sarah. Below is a template that you can personalize to your liking (please note that newspapers will not accept letters unless they are original and sent solely to that one paper):
It’s so sad to see the legal system treating Sarah Andrews as the perpetrator and Matthew Guska as a victim. Andrews had every right to speak her mind about the harassment and abuse she witnessed from the co-owner of 157 Lounge when she worked there in 2013. Her intent was to protect other young women from being subject to trauma inflicted by this man. Now Guska is suing Andrews for “emotional distress” after posting a video online of him shooting a target of her face! His intent is to bankrupt her, to revictimize her, essentially. Here’s an idea. Rather than facilitating lawsuits by abusers, maybe our criminal justice system should be looking into the allegations against Guska—before he hurts someone else.
Email your letter to the Record-Courier to:
Submit your letter to KentWired via this online form:
https://www.kentwired.com/site/forms/online_services/letter/
Once you have submitted a letter, click the orange banner below to report taking action!