By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-13 23:29:37 | Updated at 2025-01-14 14:22:33
14 hours ago
A Board of Elections bigwig accused of sexually harassing two employees said gays “bothered” him and “heterosexuals were being discriminated against” at the city agency, an explosive new $5 million court filing claims.
Board of Elections Executive Director Michael Ryan “openly” made offensive jokes about the office’s annual sensitivity training to a lawyer working under him, Stephanie Jaquez, according to a petition filed by Jaquez against Ryan and the BOE in Manhattan on Friday.
Jaquez, a former associate general counsel for the BOE, wrote that Ryan was “bothered by the number of gay employees referenced in the training” and “suggested that it was evidence that heterosexuals were being discriminated against” at the city agency.
The filing comes just days after the city’s Department of Investigation released a scathing report where it took the “unusual step” of recommending Ryan’s termination.
Despite the probe, the Board of Elections rejected the findings in favor of a slap on the wrist — placing the 58-year-old Ryan on unpaid leave for three weeks and forcing him to undergo additional sensitivity training.
Ryan was paid $289,662 last year, according to city records
Ryan is accused of routinely making sexual, racial and ethnic comments and allegedly asked female employees “how young is too young.” He also allegedly tried to touch Jaquez’s face, making her “extremely uncomfortable,” according to the court filing.
Jaquez bristled at the BOE’s decision to hand Ryan three weeks of unpaid leave “during the holidays.”
“What [executive director] Ryan did was unlawful and in violation of my human rights. It is not merely a matter of being more sensitive,” she wrote.
Jaquez also alleges that the sensitivity course Ryan is now mandated to participate in is the same one that all BOE workers attend annually, and one he has “openly” mocked in the past, her filing states.
The filing also revealed that Jaquez first reported Ryan’s behavior to BOE officials last July. She resigned a week later.
The DOI report said current BOE protections for workers had “significant deficiencies” and issued several recommendations aimed at strengthening protocols.
“The BOE’s failure to adequately consider the DOI’s recommendations reflects a deeper systemic issue,” Jaquez told The Post Monday.
Jaquez’s case is not technically a lawsuit yet, since her notice of claim was filed outside of the 90-day window, due to the confidential nature of the DOI investigation, her lawyer told The Post.
“The law is clearly in Ms. Jaquez’s favor, and we expect the court to grant her request,” said attorney Annie Seifullah. “This would allow her to move forward with a lawsuit against the BOE Commissioners and its Executive Director for the discrimination and hostile work environment she endured—allegations that the DOI has already substantiated.”
Ryan is also on probation for a year and released an apologetic statement last week following the report’s release.
“While I dispute these allegations and disagree with the report’s conclusion, I accept the determination of the Commissioners in the best interest of the Agency,” Ryan’s statement read.
The Board of Elections did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
