Ohio Man Who Harassed Disabled Kids To Tote 'BULLY!' Sign: Judge

[April 11, 2014]  By Kim Palmer

CLEVELAND (Reuters) — An Ohio man who called his neighbor "Monkey Mama" as she held her adopted, disabled African-American children, and has smeared dog feces on their wheelchair ramp, was ordered by a judge to carry an "I AM A BULLY!" sign on a busy street this weekend.

Edmond Aviv, 62, who was accused of harassing his neighbor in the Cleveland suburb of South Euclid for more than a decade, pleaded no contest to fourth-degree disorderly conduct in March.

Meting out his punishment, South Euclid Municipal Court Judge Gayle Williams-Byers sentenced Aviv to spend Sunday, April 13, on a heavily trafficked intersection with the placard, which must be "large enough for a normal person to see the sign from 25 feet away."

The judge also sentenced Aviv to 15 days in jail, seven months' probation, 100 hours of community service, anger management classes and mental-health counseling, according to court records. Finally, he must publish in a local newspaper a letter of apology to Sandra Prugh, his neighbor of 15 years, the documents show.

Over the years, Prugh has raised seven children, four of them with developmental or physical disabilities or both, three of them adopted and African American.

Prugh, whose husband suffers from dementia, said the problems began in 1998 when Aviv spit on her twice on the street and also while she was planting flowers in her front yard.

Aviv has attempted to run down her wheelchair-bound daughters when they crossed in front of his driveway, directed spotlights at his neighbor's windows at night, blared music from his garage and spread dog feces on her son's car windows, according to court documents.

The judge set a Friday deadline for Aviv to submit to the city's probation department for approval a sign that reads: "I AM A BULLY! I pick on children that are disabled, and I am intolerant of those that are different from myself. My actions do not reflect an appreciation for the diverse South Euclid community that I live in."

Aviv and his sign must be on public view from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at the corner of Trebisky Road and Monticello Boulevard in South Euclid, the judge ordered.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Gunna Dickson)

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