A New York City employee says she was fired after she reported an anonymous complaint about her boss, Commissioner Sharun Goodwin, and the agency’s general counsel, Wayne McKenzie.
The story centers on Department of Probation investigator Ebony Huntley, who alleged that Goodwin had a “prior intimate relationship” with McKenzie that would “present a conflict of interest and impact impartial decision-making,” according to Politico.
Huntley also alleged that human resources director Zenia Melendez had a history of “verbal and physical violence” toward staff members. The whistleblower said she followed the required process when she submitted the complaint to the city’s Department of Investigation, which informed her that it was looking into the matter.
But the day after she submitted the complaint, she was called into a meeting with McKenzie, who said, “I cannot have a person like Ebony working for me. Effective immediately, you are terminated.”
But that wasn’t the end of the story. Huntley responded to her firing with a wrongful termination lawsuit. She told a reporter, “It’s sh*tty, because I did what I was supposed to do.”
New: Sharun Goodwin, Mamdani's probation commissioner, has had a romantic relationship with a top aide — and an agency employee recently got fired for blowing the whistle, per a new lawsuit.
— Chris Sommerfeldt (@C_Sommerfeldt) April 10, 2026
The @NYC_DOI is now probing the matter, we have also learned. https://t.co/2VX8LkMC9L
This is the first major scandal to hit Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration, even after he promised to bring a “new era” of clean and transparent government after years of corruption allegations under his predecessor, Eric Adams.
Mamdani said he takes “any allegation of misconduct incredibly seriously” but did not comment on the details while the investigation proceeds. “I’m not going to be weighing in on any ongoing investigation. However, New Yorkers should rest assured that there is an investigation.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Probation told Politico the agency is “committed to fostering a professional, respectful and accountable workplace for all employees” and that the “allegations in this lawsuit will be duly addressed as the legal process runs its course.”
Also, the department said Goodwin and McKenzie “will have no role or oversight to any potential investigation to avoid any conflict and to preserve independence.”
Mayor Mamdani says there’s an investigation into his Probation commissioner, who was accused of having a romantic relationship with a top aide & an agency employee was allegedly fired for reporting it.
— Josie Stratman (@JosieStratman) April 10, 2026
“I take any allegations of misconduct incredibly seriously,” he said pic.twitter.com/0oaXYubsmV
Other than the Huntley lawsuit, the Mamdani administration has faced other controversies in its first 100 days. These involve key appointees and policies. Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who the mayor appointed as director of appointments, resigned only a day after she was announced. It happened after antisemitic comments she made on social media ten years ago surfaced.