Mayor Michelle Wu has quietly returned Daunasia Yancey to her job as deputy director in the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement, putting a high profile activist back in a visible City Hall role after a legal case that drew citywide scrutiny last year. Yancey was arrested in April 2025 after a domestic dispute in Roxbury and then spent months on administrative leave while the criminal case moved through the courts. The reinstatement came without any formal press release, and the low key move has already fueled questions from critics and local reporters about how transparent and consistent the administration is when it comes to handling personnel trouble.
The city’s public event calendar now lists Yancey as the contact for the Pride Kick Off on June 1, a small but clear sign on official materials that she is back on duty, according to Boston.gov. In a statement to the Boston Herald, a city spokesperson said, “Ms. Yancey is a valued member of the team who was reinstated to her position following resolution of a legal matter.” Coverage from Mass Daily News noted that City Hall did not publicly announce her return and pointed to the event listing as the most visible indication that she was back on the job.
What police records show
Police arrested Yancey on April 11, 2025, after responding to a call at a Roxbury home. The complaint alleged she grabbed a woman, slammed her into a wall, and struck her in the throat. Prosecutors initially brought one felony count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon along with a related misdemeanor charge, according to court papers and police reports. That charging timeline was detailed in coverage by Boston 25.
Court outcome and legal status
Subsequent reporting on the court proceedings shows the case did not end in a felony conviction. According to Mass Daily News, the felony count was dismissed last summer, while the misdemeanor charge was continued without a finding, with conditions that included a no contact order and anger management requirements. The Boston Globe had earlier reported a July 10, 2025, hearing date for the case. With the municipal docket indicating the matter has been resolved, City Hall says the staffing decision followed the outcome of the legal process.
Why the return has drawn attention
Yancey’s reinstatement has reopened an uncomfortable debate about how Boston handles City Hall employees who are accused of violent conduct. Two other staffers arrested in May 2025 were fired within days, a contrast widely noted in local coverage and now used by critics as a comparison point. Those critics argue that the lack of a clear public explanation for why Yancey was brought back, and the absence of a detailed timeline for when she resumed work, make it harder for residents to trust that personnel rules are applied consistently.
Supporters counter that the city allowed the criminal case to play out before making a final employment call and say Yancey’s record as a staffer and longtime organizer matters in that calculus. She is a well known Boston activist who helped found Black Lives Matter Boston and has often been a public face at city Pride events. City Hall has said that employment decisions are meant to balance public trust with due process protections, but beyond the short statement reported to the Herald, officials have not provided specifics on when she formally returned to regular duties.
With Pride Month underway and Yancey listed on official event materials, her quiet reinstatement has pushed questions about transparency, accountability, and workplace policy back into the spotlight just as Boston heads into its calendar of Pride activities.
