Charles Lawrence, the president and CEO of the Cleveland Music School Settlement, was arrested in Cleveland Heights on an offense of gross sexual imposition. He’s also resigned from his position.

A female came to the Cleveland Heights police department on Feb. 1 to make a report, according to the police report from the department.

Lawrence turned himself in two days later.

“On 02/03/2016 at 1628 hours Charles Lawrence reported to Cleveland Heights police department to turn himself in on an active EWW,” the report reads. “Lawrence was processed in without incident.”

The Music Settlement, as described by University Circle Inc., “is a community music school where music instruction, summer camps, preschool and day school programs, as well as a nationally acclaimed music therapy department, enrich the lives of people of all ages and abilities throughout Northeast Ohio.” It’s been a fixture on the east side for a century.

It also operates the Bop Stop in Ohio City and recently announced plans to open a school in the neighborhood as well.

Lawrence has resigned from his position. This letter to families, parents and students from Music Settlement board chair Maura Hughes has been posted on the organization’s site.

Update: The Music Settlement released an additional statement today after the news of the arrest for gross sexual imposition was reported by Scene.

TO: Parents and Friends of The Music Settlement
FR: Maura Hughes, Board Chair
RE: Charles Lawrence

Today, the media announced that Charles Lawrence was arrested by Cleveland Heights Police on a
charge of gross sexual imposition.

As I wrote yesterday, on Tuesday, February 2, Charles told the organization’s board that he wanted
to resign from his position for personal reasons, but did not share any details with us. Faced with
this sudden and unexpected development, the board began discussing next steps. We accepted his
resignation, identified interim leadership, and began notifying our community.

We know of no instance or accusation of an improper act involving Charles and anyone at or
connected with The Music Settlement. However, if you are aware of issues or concerns that might
be helpful for the police to know, I urge you to contact the Cleveland Heights Police Department at
216-291-4987. Detectives there are focused on this investigation and I know they will treat your
call with every confidence.

In the meantime, I want to stress that we intend to stay focused on our mission despite this very
troubling development. We have new leadership in place with our interim co-presidents, Natasha
Simmons and Patricia Camacho Hughes. And, we are launching a comprehensive search for our next
president. Our staff, our teachers, and our board remain committed to providing the high caliber of
early childhood education, music therapy, and music education for which The Cleveland Music
School Settlement has become known.

As I said in my previous email, if you have any questions or want to talk about this further, please
feel free to call or email me at mhughes@calfee.com or 216-622-8335.

And again, let me repeat and emphasize that we appreciate your support, now more than ever.

This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2016.

Vince Grzegorek has been with Scene since 2007 and editor-in-chief since 2012. He previously worked at Discount Drug Mart and Texas Roadhouse.

7 replies on “Charles Lawrence, President and CEO of Cleveland Music Settlement, Arrested for Gross Sexual Imposition, Resigns (Updated)”

  1. Wonder how much he got away with before he was finally caught. In looking at his picture, he looks like a perv. Just sayin.

  2. Charlie is a very fine supporter of the arts and has been for many years. He raised a lot of money from The Fine Arts Association to the Music Settlement. He’s a very gifted visual artist himself. There is a person that is a very good person behind this problem. I am grateful for his strong contributions to the Arts and I am praying for him and his family. I hope he gets the help he needs.

  4. Other media outlets are reporting his alleged victim is a minor. Yeah, maybe there’s a good person behind there somewhere, but someone who sexually abuses a minor is MESSED UP. If convicted, he will have to register as a sex offender. His life is over.

  5. The bond was set at $10,000 and Lawrence quickly got back on the streets by posting 10 percent of the sum.

  6. Ohio Revised Code:

    2907.05 Gross sexual imposition.
    (A) No person shall have sexual contact with another, not the spouse of the offender; cause another, not the spouse of the offender, to have sexual contact with the offender; or cause two or more other persons to have sexual contact when any of the following applies:

    (1) The offender purposely compels the other person, or one of the other persons, to submit by force or threat of force.

    (2) For the purpose of preventing resistance, the offender substantially impairs the judgment or control of the other person or of one of the other persons by administering any drug, intoxicant, or controlled substance to the other person surreptitiously or by force, threat of force, or deception.

    (3) The offender knows that the judgment or control of the other person or of one of the other persons is substantially impaired as a result of the influence of any drug or intoxicant administered to the other person with the other person’s consent for the purpose of any kind of medical or dental examination, treatment, or surgery.

    (4) The other person, or one of the other persons, is less than thirteen years of age, whether or not the offender knows the age of that person.

    (5) The ability of the other person to resist or consent or the ability of one of the other persons to resist or consent is substantially impaired because of a mental or physical condition or because of advanced age, and the offender knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the ability to resist or consent of the other person or of one of the other persons is substantially impaired because of a mental or physical condition or because of advanced age.

    (B) No person shall knowingly touch the genitalia of another, when the touching is not through clothing, the other person is less than twelve years of age, whether or not the offender knows the age of that person, and the touching is done with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.

  7. this guy was always a little off the wall. I knew him a long time and women where his top priorety. YES HE WAS IN THE ARTS BUT WAS NOT A REALLY HONEST PERSON. $1,000.00 DOLLARS AND HE IS OUT WALKING THE STREETS, LOCK YOUR DOORS.

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