Local News
Segun Idowu, a top cabinet chief for Mayor Michelle Wu, was reportedly at the center of an argument between two City Hall staffers that turned into an alleged domestic assault last month.
Boston City Hall is initiating an external investigation into allegations of misconduct by a top cabinet chief, as Mayor Michelle Wu defended the city’s internal review process.
Segun Idowu, the city’s chief of economic opportunity and inclusion, was reportedly at the center of an alleged domestic assault involving two City Hall staffers last month. The two were arrested by Boston police May 15, after an allegedly violent argument over Idowu, according to a police report.
Marwa Khudaynazar, the former chief of staff at the city’s Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, and her boyfriend, Chulan Huang, a neighborhood liaison, were both placed on unpaid leave and eventually fired after an internal human resources investigation. Both are charged with domestic assault, and Khudaynazar also allegedly assaulted a police officer.
Khudaynazar told The Boston Globe earlier this week that Idowu kissed her and repeatedly invited her to a hotel room after they bumped into each other at a bar.
Alex Lawrence, the chief people office at City Hall, implored the Boston City Council to take personnel matters off their agenda for Wednesday, citing Boston City Charter guidelines.
The city “had not received any allegations of misconduct or harassment from any parties through the internal review process prior to the media reports,” Lawrence wrote in a letter to the council, referring to Khudaynazar’s allegations in the Globe.
“After receiving new allegations in this matter, per well-established City practice, the Human Resources Department is undertaking further review of the matter, with the engagement of external employment counsel,” Lawrence wrote. It was not indicated which law firm would investigate.
Previously, Wu’s office said the couple was fired because “they had attempted to invoke their public positions to avoid consequences of an altercation with Boston Police.” Wu defended the city’s internal review process the day before the external investigation was announced, the Globe reported.
Through his lawyer, Idowu characterized the allegations as political, noting “it is not lost on me that this is an election year in Boston.”
The city previously said that Idowu was not involved with the firing of the staffers, and his lawyer said he was interviewed as part of the internal investigation.
“I am grateful that a mechanism has been put in place to further fact check the outrageous insinuations that have been circulated at my expense,” Idowu wrote, referring to the external investigation. “I welcome the opportunity to participate in an additional review and look forward to promptly and thoroughly cooperating with that inquiry, just as I have responded to questions put to me previously within City Hall.”
What are the allegations against Idowu and the two staffers?
Khudaynazar told the Globe that she was fired to protect Idowu and that the police exaggerated her comments and the assault. She said she bumped into Idowu at Hue, a Back Bay bar, the night of May 14.
Idowu allegedly told Khudaynazar that he had rented a room at the Park Plaza Hotel and encouraged her to join him, according to the Globe, which reviewed texts that appeared to back the woman up.
Khudaynazar, who said she had had three drinks, offered to drive him to the hotel but otherwise declined his offer, the Globe reported. Outside the bar, Idowu kissed her on the lips and repeatedly asked her to reconsider, she told the Globe.
“You’re my partner’s boss. You know that this isn’t appropriate,” Khudaynazar told the Globe she recalled thinking. “I told him before we left the bar, ‘I’ll take [you] to [your] hotel, but I’m not coming up.’”
Khudaynazar reportedly showed the Globe a text from Idowu sent at 12:47 a.m. that included an upside-down smile emoji.
“I’m in the room,” Idowu allegedly wrote. “I know you’re not gonna join me but I hope I’ve proven that I don’t talk shit and I mean what I say. Let me know when you get home.”
Previously, Idowu’s lawyer denied that any form of sexual harassment took place, calling any allegation of such defamatory and baseless.
Later that night, police arrived at a Chinatown apartment around 2 a.m., according to police reports obtained by Boston.com. Police said they observed multiple bite marks on Huang, and Khudaynazar had marks on her left wrist.
Huang told police that “she went on a date with (his) boss” and “then they booked a hotel room and she came here to rub it in (his) face,” according to the police report. Khudaynazar, who “was slurring her words throughout the entire encounter,” said Huang cheated on her and she then “went on a date with” his boss, according to police.
When police went to arrest Huang, she then said she had lied and tried to shut the door on the police officers, saying “we both work for the city of Boston, we both work for the Mayor’s Office,” the report said. Khudaynazar refused to provide her ID to prove she lived at Huang’s apartment, began to record the police with her phone, and called 911 again, the report said.
When police were attempting to exit the apartment, Khudaynazar didn’t move when asked and police tried “to physically move her hand out of the way,” the report said. Khudaynazar then began yelling expletives at the officer and “proceeded to strike” the officer on the chest. She was then arrested.
Huang allegedly told police from the back of the cruiser that the pair “both work for the city, this is unnecessary,” the report said.
Both pleaded not guilty in court, according to records.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.