Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office canceled a press conference June 10, a day after he and the City-County Council faced fresh criticism for their handling of sexual harassment allegations and an ensuing investigation.
The press conference announcing a homelessness initiative was supposed to be Hogsett’s first public appearance since IndyStar reported on late-night text messages the mayor sent to two women who have accused his former chief of staff, Thomas Cook, of sexual harassment.
But people involved in planning the homelessness initiative — called Streets to Home Indy — told Mirror Indy that some advocates didn’t like the idea of sharing a platform with Hogsett.
The event was canceled about 12 hours after one of the two women, Lauren Roberts, was removed from a City-County Council meeting on the orders of President Vop Osili, a Democrat, as she tried to speak during a public comment period.
Hogsett, a Democrat, was seen by Mirror Indy outside of a restaurant on Massachusetts Avenue the next day, but the mayor did not answer questions from reporters about the council meeting or why the press conference was postponed.
The cancellation notice from Hogsett’s office made no mention of the council meeting and said the press conference was canceled “in light of recent events.”
The Rev. David W. Greene Sr., a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council on Homelessness, said he and at least one other member of the council asked the mayor not to attend the press conference.
“I can say personally I was one of those people that recommended the mayor should not be there,” Greene told Mirror Indy.
Get the backstory
Greene said that Osili’s decision to order sheriff’s deputies to remove Roberts from the council meeting was “egregious.”
“It was just ridiculous to not allow (her) to speak. He should’ve just let that play out,” Greene said. “It’s disappointing.”
Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, who has been helping organize and fundraise for the homelessness initiative, told Mirror Indy he understands why some would be hesitant to join Hogsett right now.
“The people that weren’t willing to stand on stage with the mayor, I totally get it,” he said.
Still, Spiegel said a response to the homelessness crisis shouldn’t be superseded by what’s happening in the mayor’s office.
Spiegel, who’s the executive director of the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance, and other faith leaders have scheduled their own press conference for the initiative next week.
The mayor’s office was scheduled to host a virtual media event about the initiative on the afternoon of June 10.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
