Boston City Hall sexual misconduct probe clears top Wu cabinet official of wrongdoing

By Gayla Cawley

A top Wu administration cabinet official was cleared of any wrongdoing after an external review into sexual misconduct allegations that were leveled against him by an ex-city employee who was fired after her arrest on domestic assault charges.

The law firm commissioned by the City of Boston to conduct the review, Stoneman, Chandler & Miller, LLP, said Wednesday that it had completed its investigation into “the conduct of” the city’s Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu — and found that he did not violate any city policies.

The investigation, the law firm said in a one-page memo issued to the city’s human resources department, was conducted with assistance by the city’s “investigations team” and based on the alleged misconduct of Idowu, “as described by Marwa Khudaynazar in a report by the Boston Globe.”

“The conclusion of that investigation is that there were no violations of city policy by Mr. Idowu,” Kate Clark, a partner at the law firm wrote to Alex Lawrence, the city’s chief people officer. “Through her counsel, Ms. Khudaynazar declined to participate in the city’s investigation regarding the allegations she made to the Boston Globe, which she never reported to the city.

“Accordingly, we conducted the investigation by interviewing available witnesses and reviewing media reports and other relevant documents, including text exchanges between Ms. Khudaynazar and Mr. Idowu. The investigation did not reveal any facts that suggest Mr. Idowu violated the city’s policy prohibiting sexual harassment, either by creating a hostile work environment or engaging in quid pro quo harassment, or any other workplace policies.”

A City Hall spokesperson issued a statement Wednesday thanking the law firm “for their thorough examination of the matter.”

Idowu issued his own statement through his attorney, Jeffrey Robbins, who also represents the Herald, saying that the results of the investigation confirmed his repeated denials of the allegations, but did not “erase the pain” they had caused.

“After weeks of politically motivated defamatory accusations and assaults on my character and work, an external investigation conducted by an outside law firm confirmed what has been repeatedly stated: I did not violate any rules, policies, or ethical and legal codes of conduct,” Idowu said. “The law enforcement events that took place on the night of May 14 quite simply did not involve me.

“While this vindication does not erase the pain that defamatory public statements, text messages and online commentary has caused me, my family and my community, I look forward to continuing my work to create greater economic equity across the city unabated and without distraction,” he added.

Khudaynazar, the 27-year-old ex-chief of staff for the city’s Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, did not respond to a request for comment. She was terminated after her involvement in a domestic incident that led to her arrest.

Khudaynazar told the Boston Globe last month that she was fired to protect Idowu, a top Wu aide she says propositioned her on the night of the May 15 incident.

She further stated to the Globe that Idowu’s sexual advances, which she declined to comment on when reached by the Herald, angered her boyfriend, Chulan Huang, the 26-year-old ex-neighborhood business manager for the city’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, and sparked the dispute at Huang’s Chinatown apartment that led to both of their arrests on domestic assault charges.

Khudaynazar was also charged with assault and battery on a police officer. Mayor Michelle Wu stated that Khudaynazar and Huang, who have both pleaded not guilty to the charges, were terminated for their “invoking of official status” as city employees to try to avoid being arrested during a police response.

Khudaynazar disputed that claim as a misunderstanding in her interview with the Globe, and said Mayor Michelle Wu unfairly terminated her to protect Idowu and attempt to avoid an election year scandal.

Idowu’s alleged involvement in the incident led Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn to call for his resignation or termination, and Wu’s principal mayoral opponent Josh Kraft to push for Wu to reveal Idowu’s “role” in the City Hall scandal.

Prior to the allegations, the police report indicated that the domestic dispute was sparked by cheating allegations, and had Huang, who worked in Idowu’s department, quoted as stating of Khudaynazar, “She went on a date with my boss. And then they booked a hotel room and she came here to rub it in my face.”

The police report did not name Idowu, but the Globe report includes allegations by Khudaynazar that Idowu told her he booked a hotel room and invited her to join him there — an invitation Khudaynazar said she rebuffed.

Flynn and City Councilor Erin Murphy, who saw their push for an independent investigation blocked twice by the City Council in recent weeks, both issued statements to the Herald Wednesday casting doubt on the results of the review, given that it was conducted with the assistance of City Hall staff.

“Without an independent investigation, these troubling allegations remain open and will continue to reflect poorly on city officials,” Flynn said. “Transparency, professionalism and accountability must be part of city government.”

Murphy said “it’s clear that while steps were taken” to review the matter, “the process fell short.”

“When City Hall investigates itself, it undermines trust,” Murphy said, “and leaves too many questions unanswered.”

Read More…