INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis City-County Council's rules and public policy committee advanced an amended proposal Friday night aimed at overhauling the city's sexual harassment procedures and investigating Mayor Joe Hogsett's former chief of staff Thomas Cook, who is accused of sexually harassing women before his dismissal.
The committee voted to send Proposal No. 287, 2024, to the full council recommending that it be passed. The ordinance would authorize the committee to overhaul the city's current procedures associated with sexual harassment and would align with training that will now be required for all city and county employees moving forward.
The amended proposal would authorize the creation of a committee designed to launch a formal investigation into the mayor's office and its handling of the allegations against Thomas Cook.
The proposal would also change how the mayor's office handles any claims that are filed by staff in the future.
If it receives final approval, the amended proposal could bring sweeping changes to the city's sexual harassment policies, which is the hope of Democratic Majority Leader Maggie Lewis and other councilors.
“Our priority is to restore trust in city leadership and to ensure that Indianapolis is a place where every employee feels secure, valued, and supported," said Lewis. "We are committed to making the necessary changes to protect our employees now and in the future. This is a critical step in holding leadership accountable and creating a safer work environment for all.”
These changes include forming an independent committee to oversee the investigation. This committee would include five members of the majority party and two from the minority party. This committee would also possess the ability to subpoena witnesses and documents.
Other changes would include more restrictive privacy protocols to ensure that no information that could expose the identity of victims is released to the public and to consult with a non-local firm to seek recommendations on where the city's harassment policies could be upgraded.
Hogsett released the following statement following Friday night's meeting:
Eleven days ago, I delivered my Budget Address to the City-County Council and laid out immediate steps the City would be taking to create a safer workplace for everyone, and we have worked swiftly to make these changes a reality. Human Resources sent out this year's mandatory sexual harassment training on 8/15, which I completed the next morning, and on 8/19 I signed an executive order to make this training mandatory on an annual basis for all City employees, not just supervisors. On 8/16, the City began an internal education campaign to ensure all employees know how to access the free counseling and support available through our Employee Assistance Program. A national law firm without local ties is being hired to review and make recommendations on our Employee Handbook. And soon, following demos that began this week, an anonymous reporting system will be made available to all employees.
As the Mayor of Indianapolis, it is of critical importance to me that, in addition to ensuring there are appropriate sexual harassment and fraternization policies in place, every person who serves our community in the City-County enterprise understands they can report inappropriate behavior of any kind without fear of retribution, and that all investigations will be conducted in a confidential manner. I remain committed to working with the City-County Council and leaders of this Administration to make continued changes to our policies and practices that ensure a safe and equitable workplace for all.
The proposal could receive final approval from the full council on Sept. 9.
Friday night's meeting follows weeks of controversy that have shed a spotlight on Hogsett’s handling of an investigation into Cook, who was accused of sexual harassment and coercing a former city employee, Caroline Ellert, and a prior member of the mayor’s campaign team, Lauren Roberts.
According to previous reports, Cook was the center of three separate sanctions between October 2017 and October 2023.
Following the sanctions, Cook was prohibited from engaging in any romantic relationships with his co-workers. Cook resigned shortly after in December 2020 after being found to have reportedly violated a 2017 order to not be in a romantic relationship with any of his subordinates.
The mayor has previously announced that a national firm will be tasked with updating the city’s employee handbook after completing a thorough review of its harassment training.
Hogsett signed an executive order earlier this week requiring all city-county employees to participate in an annual harassment training program. Sexual harassment training was previously required for supervisors only.