Nyc Employee Says She Was Fired After Reporting Alleged Relationship Between Top Mamdani Appointee, Subordinate

NEW YORK — A New York City Department of Probation employee claims she was fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle on her commissioner’s romantic relationship with a top subordinate — and the city’s corruption watchdog is now looking into the matter.

The former employee, Ebony Huntley, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday laying out the accusations against Department of Probation Commissioner Sharun Goodwin, who was appointed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in late January.

In an interview with POLITICO, Huntley, who served as the Probation Department’s chief investigator, said the New York City Department of Investigation contacted her after she filed the suit to inform her the watchdog agency is probing her allegations. A DOI spokesperson confirmed Friday that the department "is aware of this matter," but declined further comment.

The lawsuit — and the related DOI inquiry — marks the first potential scandal involving a top official in Mamdani’s administration. The mayor, who marked his 100th day in office Friday, campaigned last year on a promise to usher in a “new era” of good government after former Mayor Eric Adams oversaw an administration besieged by corruption and misconduct accusations, including at the Department of Probation.

Spokespeople for Mamdani and the Department of Probation didn’t immediately return requests for comment on Huntley’s allegations.

According to her lawsuit, Huntley, in her capacity as the department’s chief investigator, received an anonymous staff complaint in late March alleging that Goodwin had engaged in a “prior intimate relationship” with the agency’s general counsel, Wayne McKenzie, who was hired for his role after Goodwin became commissioner.

The staff complaint, a copy of which was attached to Huntley’s lawsuit, said employees believe Goodwin’s alleged romantic ties to McKenzie “may present a conflict of interest and impact impartial decision-making” at the department. The complaint contains allegations against other employees, too, including Zenia Melendez, the agency’s human resources director, who’s accused of having a history of “verbal and physical violence” against staff.

“Collectively, these concerns have created a workplace environment where employees feel uneasy, discouraged from speaking openly, and uncertain about their job security,” the complaint says. “Many employees simply want to perform their duties in a professional setting without fear of retaliation or favoritism. If the goal is to move the Department of Probation forward, there is a strong need for leadership that reflects professionalism, objectivity and accountability.”

Huntley transmitted the staff complaint to the Department of Investigation on March 26, “consistent with her obligations as chief investigator,” according to the suit. After emailing it to DOI, she discussed the issue with Brandon Smith, an attorney at the agency who told her he would inform McKenzie, the suit states. Huntley says she told Smith he shouldn’t do that, given McKenzie was named in the complaint, but Smith allegedly replied: “This is not like the old days where you don’t share information.”

The next day, Huntley alleges she was summoned to a meeting organized by McKenzie. In that meeting, McKenzie specifically referenced the anonymous DOI complaint and the fact that he was named in it, according to court papers. He then allegedly told Huntley she was fired.

“I cannot have a person like Ebony working for me. Effective immediately, you are terminated,” Huntley said in the meeting, which was attended by other department lawyers, according to court papers.

The lawsuit also states that after Huntley told McKenzie she was “lost and did not understand why she was being fired,” McKenzie replied: “You may be lost but you can’t work for me. I am disappointed in you, Ebony. I thought you had more integrity.”

Huntley shared a termination notice with POLITICO that was dated March 30 and stated she was fired effectively immediately. The notice, which was signed by Melendez, the HR director, did not specify a reason for her termination.

“It’s shitty, because I did what I was supposed to do,” Huntley, who’s seeking unspecified monetary damages, told POLITICO. “I didn’t do anything wrong and I definitely shouldn’t have been fired.“

Huntley, whose suit names both McKenzie and Goodwin as defendants, said she spoke to a DOI investigator about her allegations over the phone Thursday. The DOI is currently in a state of transition, with Mamdani’s preferred nominee to lead the agency, Nadia Shihata, awaiting a confirmation vote in the City Council.

The DOI has already shown investigative interest in the Department of Probation.

As reported by Gothamist last month, the Manhattan district attorney’s office is investigating former Probation Commissioner Juanita Holmes, an Adams appointee, after the DOI late last year made a criminal referral. The criminal probe’s scope is unclear.

Holmes’ tenure atop the agency was marred by allegations of nepotism and patronage — part of a web of corruption concerns that for years dogged the Adams administration and culminated in the former mayor’s own September 2024 bribery indictment. Adams’ indictment was quashed last year by President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice as part of an arrangement that caused public trust in city government to plunge to historic lows. 

In appointing Goodwin, a 37-year agency veteran, as the probation department’s new head, Mamdani said at a Jan. 27 press conference that she has “a proven record of achievement and a deep passion for service.”

When asked at that press conference if she planned to overhaul any internal protocols following Holmes’ tumultuous tenure, Goodwin replied: “I will look into what I hear, but I’m not certain that what is reported is what it is, so I’ll take the opportunity to evaluate and assess what needs to be done.”

When pressed by POLITICO to share her thoughts on Holmes’ leadership, Mamdani stepped in and didn’t let Goodwin answer. “I’m going to allow the commissioner to focus on the days ahead,” he said.