The leadership of the New York City Board of Elections faces scrutiny following a city watchdog's investigation into allegations that the agency's executive director, Michael Ryan, engaged in racial and sexual harassment toward two female staffers. The Department of Investigation's probe found evidence of Ryan's repeated racially insensitive and sexually suggestive comments, as detailed in reports by Gothamist and THE CITY.
Despite the DOI's findings and recommendation to remove Ryan from his position, the Board of Elections decided instead to impose a three-week suspension without pay, require attendance at sensitivity training, and place him on probation for a year. Stephanie Jaquez, one of the affected employees and a former associate general counsel for the BOE, resigned after her harassment complaint went unresolved, and now plans to sue the agency. "It's just a reminder of how horribly Mike Ryan made me feel at work. And proves that the city has prioritized the job security of a scandal-ridden man over making any effort to treat someone like me equally," Jaquez said, according to Gothamist.
THE CITY's report elaborated on incidents including Ryan's comments to Jaquez about a Spanish language television show, where he reenacted the host singing "pa la cama," which means “come to bed,” and initiating inappropriate discussions regarding age differences in dating, as mentioned by THE CITY. Another BOE employee, of South Asian heritage, detailed how Ryan asked her "What type of Indian are you?" and made remarks that implied individuals of Indian descent are "non-confrontational." This behavior prompted an investigation by DOI which led to Ryan's subsequent disciplining by the Board of Elections.
The DOI's unreleased report is also set to critique the BOE's lack of sufficient policies and mechanisms to address incidents of harassment and hostile work environments. "Ryan's demonstrated misconduct falls far below the high standards to which agency heads are held, and it is DOI's view that his resignation or removal from office is, at a minimum, required to address DOI’s findings in this case," stated the DOI report, acknowledging the seriousness of Ryan's conduct, as noted by THE CITY. The female Hispanic employee, deeply distressed by the experience, sought therapy and resigned while the other staffer termed Ryan's comments "unwanted and unwelcome" and "offensive," based on the DOI findings.
