“You are done.”
That’s what City-County Council President Vop Osili told Lauren Roberts before he ordered sheriff’s deputies to remove her from the June 9 council meeting.
Roberts, who has accused Mayor Joe Hogsett’s former chief of staff Thomas Cook of sexual harassment, was forced to leave the meeting after she refused to adhere to the 2-minute time limit for public comment.
“I’m going to take my time. You’re welcome to have me hauled out by sheriffs,” Roberts, standing at the podium, told Osili.
As Roberts attempted to continue her statement, she was interrupted by Osili, who told her that her comments were not relevant to the agenda item. He also appeared to incorrectly call her Lauren Boebert until Roberts corrected him.
“This moment is the first time you as the council are actually listening to me. That’s shameful. This council’s Democratic caucus… silenced and refused to listen to me outside of manipulative backroom conversations intended to manage survivors,” Roberts said.
The exchange between Roberts and Osili was just one of the moments in a tense, hourslong meeting that also determined the next steps for the council’s investigation into the Hogsett administration’s handling of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power.
It was the first council meeting following the release of the long-awaited report from Fisher Phillips, the law firm hired by the council to carry out the investigation.
It was also the first meeting after Roberts and former city staffer Caroline Ellert — who has also publicly described experiencing sexual harassment and abuse by the mayor’s former top aide — shared examples of materials that the Fisher Phillips law firm declined to include in the report. That includes late-night messages that Hogsett appeared to send to both women in the past.
Roberts, for years, has been trying to convince local and state public officials to listen to her descriptions of what happened while she worked on Hogsett’s first mayoral campaign. She tried again June 9, but again was cut short by another person in power.
After she exceeded the allotted two minutes, Osili asked sheriff’s deputies to remove Roberts from the council chambers. As she was hauled away, several people in the audience chanted, “Shame, shame.” Some held signs that said “Hogsett must resign!” and “25 councilors but only 2 spines” — an apparent reference to the two council Democrats who have called on Hogsett to resign.
Osili later defended his decision by saying that everyone must abide by the council’s rules.
“It is never a pleasure to escort someone from our room, but we have a sense of order here, and we have rules that we have followed,” Osili told reporters after the meeting. “When someone indicates or says that they will talk for as long as they like, it’s not something that this council can stand with. That is the reason for asking people to leave the room.”
But during the meeting, some councilors who witnessed the struggle spoke critically of Osili’s treatment of Roberts.
“I’m disgusted by what just transpired, and all I can say is that I’m sorry for those that are trying to be heard,” said Councilor Jared Evans, a westside Democrat.
“Tonight was less than spectacular in what occurred, and I do think those persons involved do have the right to be heard to the full extent,” said Councilor Dan Boots, a northside Democrat.
Outside the City-County Building, Roberts finished reading her statement to reporters.
“The Fisher Phillips report made glaring omissions in favor of the mayor’s version of events. It made sloppy errors with basic facts that we backed up with overwhelming documentation,” her statement read in part. “It characterized survivor statements as claims, while the mayor’s were treated as facts.”
Meanwhile, inside the council chambers, two former city employees told the council they experienced forms of workplace harassment while working for the Hogsett administration.
“I know how this administration works, and I believe the only way to make this better is to call for Joe Hogsett’s resignation immediately,” said Maggie Adams-McBride, a former project manager in the mayor’s office.
‘Uncomfortable’ texts and other omissions
Councilors voted at the meeting to delay a $300,000 payment to Fisher Phillips.
The decision comes after Roberts and Ellert told IndyStar that the report left out key details. That includes text messages they received from the mayor that they said made them feel uncomfortable.
For example, they shared messages where Hogsett appeared to cross personal boundaries, sometimes texting late at night and asking about their preferred poetry.
The mayor did not contest the validity of the messages, according to IndyStar.
People hold signs urging Mayor Joe Hogsett to resign. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy 
Maggie Adams-McBride speaks during the meeting. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy 
Jack Killen (right) holds a sign urging Mayor Joe Hogsett’s resignation. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy 
Morgan Mickelson speaks. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy 
Lauren Roberts speaks. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy 
Lauren Roberts speaks as she is forced to leave by sheriff’s deputies. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy 
Kristina Hartley (right) shouts toward the council after Lauren Roberts and others were forced to leave. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy 
(From left) Lauren Roberts and Elise Shrock walk toward the elevators. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy
Mark Sniderman, a lawyer representing Roberts and Ellert, told Mirror Indy in a statement that the report “misses the full scope and import of the relevant issues.”
In addition to the late-night text messages, Sniderman said Ellert told Fisher Phillips that she used the words “sexual assault” when detailing her allegations against Cook in a 2023 phone call to the mayor. Hogsett told the firm that Ellert did not use that term, according to the report.
In delaying the vote, councilors sent the proposal back to the council’s administration and finance committee.
Councilor Frank Mascari, a southside Democrat who chairs the committee, said Roberts and others will have an opportunity to address councilors at the next committee meeting.
One challenge, though, is that Roberts now lives in Denver. As part of her comments during the council meeting, she noted that she was able to fly to Indianapolis for the June 9 meeting because of a crowdfunding effort.
What Democrats are saying
At the start of the meeting, the Democratic councilors released a joint statement that was critical of Hogsett’s conduct but stopped short of calling for his resignation.
“Public trust is a sacred obligation continuously earned through principled moral leadership and responsible governance. The mayor’s past and recent conduct has compromised that trust and weakened the moral authority of the office,” the statement read, in part.
The caucus also called for several reforms, some of which were included in the Fisher Phillips report. For example: Updating policies around harassment, discrimination, retaliation and fraternization.
No specific names were attached to the statement. But either way, it’s clear that not all 19 Democrats are united.
Eastside Democrats Andy Nielsen and Jesse Brown have both called for the mayor’s resignation.
Councilor John Barth, a northside Democrat, released his own statement asking that Fisher Phillips attend a council meeting to respond to questions.
And Councilor Ron Gibson, another northside Democrat, told reporters before the meeting that the investigation was handled properly and said he stands by the mayor.
Republicans call for new public hearing
The six Republican councilors are going further than the Democratic caucus. They are urging investigative committee chair Crista Carlino, a Democrat, to agree to a public hearing to answer questions about the investigation.
They want to know why the mayor’s text messages were left out of the Fisher Phillips report, and whether other evidence was excluded from the report without the full council’s knowledge. They’re also questioning why the firm didn’t exercise subpoena power at any point during the investigation.
When a Mirror Indy reporter asked Carlino about that following the release of the report, the westside councilor said it wasn’t necessary because “there was cooperation across the board” and “there was no evidence to gather that we didn’t already have.”
Michael-Paul Hart, a southside Republican who leads his party’s caucus, still wants to know why subpoena power wasn’t used.
“That’s a question I have for Fisher Phillips, and I encourage them to answer that question when they come back to the committee,” Hart told reporters.
Fisher Phillips previously said it was unable to interview Cook despite repeated attempts to reach him.
Cook, who has not been charged with a crime, has not responded to Mirror Indy’s previous emails and messages seeking comment.
What’s in the report?
The Fisher Phillips report included recommendations for improving sexual harassment policies and procedures, including the appointment of an inspector general in cases where harassment allegations are filed against a county executive.
It also supported removing the city’s Human Resources Division from the Office of Finance and Management and making it an independent board.
The report said the Hogsett administration acted in accordance with the law, though it raised ethical questions. For example: Why was Cook allowed to remain in city government for 68 days after a human resources investigation recommended he be fired for having a relationship with a subordinate?
Hogsett, who did not fire Cook and instead allowed him to resign, said he has directed the city’s Office of Corporation Counsel to look into what Cook was working on during that period. Several people interviewed as part of the Fisher Phillips investigation said they believed Cook may have used those 68 days to “to position himself for personal gain by negotiating contracts for his own benefit.”
Mayor downplays Cook’s role in 2023 campaign
Even after ordering two investigations into Cook’s alleged behavior, Hogsett still allowed Cook to play a role in the mayor’s 2023 re-election campaign.
In recent comments to Fox59’s Russ McQuaid, however, the mayor said Cook was unpaid and “was not in contact with anyone directly involved” in the campaign.
But Mirror Indy interviewed six people with knowledge of the campaign who said that Cook was in contact with people on the campaign team. Some went so far as to describe him as integral to the operation.
Through a city spokesperson, the mayor did not answer several questions posed by Mirror Indy for that article.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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