Indy Councilors Approve Committee To Investigate Harassment Claims

Indy Councilors Approve Select Committee To Investigate Sexual Harassment Claims

Source: Danielle Zulkosky/WISH-TV / other

INDIANAPOLIS — By a vote of 22-1-1, Indianapolis City-County Councilors voted overwhelmingly to approve the formation of a select committee to look into recent sexual harassment claims by current and former city workers.

The action taken by the council stems from the recent claims of harassment made against Mayor Joe Hogsett’s former chief of staff Thomas Cook, who also worked on Hogsett’s most recent re-election campaign.

“Sexual harassment has no place in any workplace, least of all in our city where (councilors) are responsible for its oversight,” said Councilor John Barth (D) on behalf of most of the council. “It is our duty to protect the dignity of every city employee, starting with those who have stepped forward.”

The accusers include Lauren Roberts and Caroline Ellert, both of whom worked under Cook in some form or fashion either within the mayor’s office or on his mayoral campaign. Those who have come forward also include a few others accusing the now-former director of the Department of Metropolitan Development as well.

Roberts and Ellert are also accusing Hogsett of knowing about the sexual harassment and doing nothing to stop it from happening. Hogsett has said that he had no knowledge of sexual harassment by Cook after 2017.

The council vote to approve the formation of the investigative committee was not unanimous as the reader may have noted. Councilor Derek Cahill abstained due to a conflict of interest, but Councilor Ron Gibson voted “no”.

Before the vote was cast there was some final debate among the councilors about possible amendments to the proposal. Councilor Joshua Bain (R) had hoped to add two amendments: one he said would add transparency to the retrieval of documents in the investigation, and another that would have given any member of the committee unilateral powers to issue subpoenas for testimony or documents.

Both amendments were overwhelmingly rejected by other councilors. The overarching argument against them was to ensure the protection of the private information of anyone somehow attached to the information being sought from having their private information compromised.

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“No one of us should have that much power,” said Councilor Ali Brown. “there is too much important information in a worker’s HR files for one councilor who has their motivations to subpoena.”

The proposal as written requires a simple majority vote of the councilors on the committee to issue a subpoena. Mayor Joe Hogsett issued the following statement:

“I commend the City-County Council for ensuring that their investigation as part of Proposal 287 will protect the confidentiality of any current or former City employee who was or may be involved in any claim of sexual harassment. In order to create a safer, better work environment, it is imperative that everyone who works for the City knows they can report harassment of any kind without fear of retribution, and that all investigations will be conducted in a confidential manner.

I remain committed to working with the City-County Council and the entire Administration to make continued changes to our policies and practices, both those initiated by my Administration and through this resolution.”

As to what the scope of the committee investigation will specifically be still has yet to be decided by the committee members themselves. The members who will sit on the committee have yet to be determined as well.

The committee investigation will also be separate from a separate investigation already underway by an independent law firm already hired by the city.