NEW YORK — A New York City probation department employee claims she was fired in retaliation for revealing her commissioner’s romantic relationship with a top subordinate — and the city’s corruption watchdog is now looking into the matter.
The former employee, Ebony Huntley, filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday, leveling allegations against Probation Department Commissioner Sharun Goodwin, who was appointed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in late January.
In an interview with Politico, Huntley, who serves as the Probation Department’s chief investigator, said that after the lawsuit was filed the New York City Department of Investigation contacted him and informed him that the watchdog agency was investigating his allegations. A DOI spokesperson confirmed Friday that the department is “aware of this matter,” but declined to comment further.
The lawsuit – and the related DOI investigation – marks the first potential scandal involving a top official in Mamdani’s administration. The mayor, who celebrated his 100th day in office on Friday, campaigned last year on a promise to usher in a “new era” of good government after former Mayor Eric Adams oversaw an administration dogged by allegations of corruption and misconduct, including at the probation department.
Mamdani and probation department spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Huntley’s allegations.
According to her lawsuit, Huntley, as the department’s chief investigator, received an anonymous employee complaint in late March alleging that Goodwin had had a “former intimate relationship” with the agency’s general counsel, Wayne McKenzie, who was hired for the role after Goodwin became commissioner.
The staff complaint, a copy of which was attached to Huntley’s lawsuit, said staff believed Goodwin’s alleged romantic relationship with McKenzie “could create a conflict of interest and impact impartial decision making in the department”. The complaint also includes allegations against other employees, including the agency’s human resources director, Xenia Melendez, who is accused of having a history of “verbal and physical violence” against employees.
“Collectively, these concerns have created a workplace environment where employees feel uncomfortable, discouraged from speaking out, and uncertain about their job security,” the complaint says. “Many employees want to perform their duties in a professional setting without fear of retaliation or favoritism. If the goal is to advance the probation department, there is a strong need for leadership that reflects professionalism, fairness, and accountability.”
According to the lawsuit, Huntley forwarded the employee complaint to the investigative division on March 26 “consistent with his responsibilities as chief investigator.” After emailing the DOI, she discussed the issue with Brandon Smith, an attorney for the agency, who told her he would notify McKenzie, the lawsuit states. Huntley says he told Smith he shouldn’t do that, because McKenzie was named in the complaint, but Smith reportedly responded: “It’s not like the old days where you don’t share information.”
The next day, Huntley alleged that he was called to a meeting organized by McKenzie. According to court papers, at that meeting, McKenzie specifically mentioned the anonymous DOI complaint and the fact that he was named in it. He then allegedly told Huntley he was fired.
According to court papers, Huntley said at the meeting, “I cannot hire a person like Ebony to work for me. Effective immediately, you are terminated.” Lawyers from other departments were also present in the meeting.
The lawsuit also says that when Huntley told McKenzie she was “lost and can’t understand why she was being fired,” McKenzie responded: “You may be lost but you can’t work for me. I’m disappointed in you, Ebony. I thought you had more integrity.”
Huntley shared a termination notice dated March 30 with POLITICO and said she was fired effective immediately. The notice, which was signed by Human Resources Director Melendez, did not give any reason for his dismissal.
“This is nonsense, because I did what I was supposed to do,” Huntley, who is seeking unspecified monetary damages, told Politico. “I didn’t do anything wrong and I definitely shouldn’t have been fired.”
Huntley, whose lawsuit names both McKenzie and Goodwin as defendants, said he spoke with a DOI investigator about his allegations by phone Thursday. The DOI is currently in a state of transition, with Mamdani’s preferred nominee to lead the agency, Nadia Shihata, awaiting a confirmation vote in the City Council.
DOI has already shown investigative interest in the probation department.
As reported","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://gothamist.com/news/former-nyc-probation-commissioner-faces-investigation-sources-say","_Identification": :"0000019d-77c1-d5ea-a7dd-ffe7217c0004","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-77c1-d5ea-a7dd-ffe7217c0005","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>informed According to Gothamist last month, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is investigating Juanita Holmes, the former probation commissioner appointed by Adams after she made a criminal referral by the DOI late last year. The scope of the criminal investigation is not clear.
Holmes’s tenure at the agency was dogged by allegations of nepotism and patronage – part of a web of corruption concerns that haunted the Adams administration for years and culminated in the former mayor’s bribery indictment in September 2024. Adams’ impeachment was dismissed last year by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department as part of a system that has left public trust in city government at historically low levels.
Appointing Goodwin, a 37-year veteran of the agency, as the new head of the probation department, Mamdani said at a press conference on Jan. 27","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook-pm/2026/01/27/mamdani-office-to-combat-antisemitism-elad-nehorai-wisdom-00750240","_Identification": :"0000019d-77c1-d5ea-a7dd-ffe7217c0006","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-77c1-d5ea-a7dd-ffe7217c0007","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Press conference of 27 January That he has “a proven record of achievement and a deep passion for service.”
When asked at that press conference whether he planned to make any internal protocol changes following Holmes’s turbulent tenure, Goodwin responded: “I’ll look at what I hear, but I’m not sure that’s what’s been reported, so I’ll take the opportunity to weigh in and evaluate what needs to be done.”
When POLITICO pressed him to share his views on Holmes’ leadership, Mamdani interjected and prevented Goodwin from responding. “I’m going to allow the commissioner to focus on the days ahead,” he said.
