Logo

A city Department of Probation investigator was canned for blowing the whistle on an alleged tryst between Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pick to lead the agency and a top attorney working for her, a new lawsuit claims.

Ebony Huntley, a retired NYPD lieutenant, claims she was fired the day after she reached out to the city Department of Investigation with her concerns about the agency’s leadership under new Probation Commissioner Sharun Goodwin, appointed by Mamdani in late January.

The list of grievances included the incendiary claim that Goodwin had a “prior intimate personal relationship” with General Counsel Wayne McKenzie, who was brought on by the new commish after she was appointed by Mamdani, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday.


  Mayor Zohran Mamdani commemorates 100 days in office. William Farrington/NY Post Mayor Zohran Mamdani commemorates 100 days in office. William Farrington/NY Post

Huntley said she received the complaints in a letter signed by “concerned employees,” and that she followed her legal obligations by forwarding the list to the DOI.

Just 24 hours later, McKenzie summoned her to a remote meeting and “referenced the anonymous complaint, specifically acknowledging that he was named in it,” according to the Manhattan Supreme Court suit.

“I cannot have a person like Ebony working for me,” McKenzie allegedly said during a virtual meeting, telling the veteran investigator he was “disappointed” and that she was “terminated.”

Huntley expressed her shock, responding that she was “lost.” But McKenzie allegedly replied, “you may be lost but you can’t work for me,” the suit claims.


  Sharun Goodwin is Mamdani’s commissioner of the Department of Probation. Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com Sharun Goodwin is Mamdani’s commissioner of the Department of Probation. Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com

McKenzie had worked for the probation department for 12 years before he was re-hired by Goodwin, an employee of the agency for nearly 40 years before Mamdani appointed her commissioner.

The mayor confirmed Friday that “there is an investigation,” but declined to comment more specifically on Huntley’s claims.

“I take any allegations of misconduct incredibly seriously,” he told reporters during an unrelated press conference, echoing comments from a probation department spokesperson.


  Department of Probation general counsel Wayne McKenzie. Manhattan District Attorney's Office Department of Probation general counsel Wayne McKenzie. Manhattan District Attorney's Office

Huntley’s bombshell lawsuit, first reported by Politico, claims she was retaliated against for being a whistleblower, getting fired from her $170,000-a-year gig as a chief investigator for the department.

She also claims the city owes her $200,000 in unpaid wages during her short stint with the agency.

“No employee should be terminated for forwarding complaints they received to the City’s Department of Investigation,” said Huntley’s attorney, John Scola.

“We expect the Mamdani administration to take swift disciplinary action against those responsible and rectify my client’s unlawful termination.”

— Additional reporting by Hannah Fierick

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy