Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett Vows to Make City A Safer Workplace, Won’t Resign
INDIANAPOLIS–Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett took questions from reporters for 30 minutes on Thursday afternoon. Most of those stemmed from sexual harassment accusations against his former Deputy Mayor Thomas Cook.
He reiterated that he would not be stepping down as Mayor. He did sign Proposal 287, which allows an investigative committee to form to look into the accusations of sexual harassment within the Mayor’s administration.
He says there are documents that prove he took sexual harassment accusations against his former Deputy Mayor Thomas Cook seriously back in 2017.
“To provide you the documents would undermine the very purpose of why we are gathered here today. Every employee in the City of Indianapolis needs to be assured that if they have a complaint that it will be anonymous, it will be confidential, and it will be investigated,” said Hogsett.
Hogsett says each and every employee will have to take sexual harassment training every year now instead of every other year.
Hogsett also said it is “inaccurate to say that I, at any point in time, have worried that Thomas Cook had information about me that he would share with other people.”
A national law firm without local ties is being hired to review and make recommendations on the City-County Employee Handbook.
You can hear the full press conference in its entirety here.
