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Two city hall staffers fired after domestic incident
The two employees were arrested last week. Both were charged with assault and battery, and one — the chief of staff at the Office of Police Accountability — was also accused of assaulting a police officer.
Two city hall employees who are facing criminal charges for their involvement in a domestic incident last week have been fired, a spokesperson for the Wu administration announced Tuesday.
Marwa Khudaynazar, 27, and Chulan Huang, 26, were arrested last Thursday. Khudaynazar was the chief of staff at the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, and Huang was a neighborhood liaison for Downtown, Chinatown, and the Leather District.
Police were called to a Chinatown apartment in response to a domestic incident involving the two, who are dating. Both were charged with assault and battery on a household member, and Khudaynazar was also charged with assault and battery on a police officer, according to court documents. Both pleaded not guilty.
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The city immediately placed both on unpaid leave and opened an investigation, which is now complete.
“After completing an internal review, the employment of both individuals has been terminated by the City. The review found no violations of laws or City workforce policies by any other City employees,” a city spokesperson said in a statement.
At the scene of the incident, Huang told police that the altercation stemmed from Khudaynazar going on a date with his “boss,” according to a police report. It is unclear if this comment was in reference to a third city employee.
Officers observed bite marks on Huang’s chest and arms. They also found visible marks on Khudaynazar’s wrists, according to the police report.
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Khudaynazar allegedly refused to leave the apartment when a police officer asked her to, saying that they should “make” her move. When the altercation between Khudaynazar and the officer turned physical, she hit him in the chest, according to the report.
City Councilor Ed Flynn called for the resignation or termination of Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu earlier this week. Josh Kraft, Mayor Michelle Wu’s most high-profile mayoral challenger, said that there is a “management crisis” in City Hall.
“Two aides were dismissed following a domestic dispute that resulted in violence against a police officer, but with no consequences for Segun Idowu, a top aide to the mayor, who is allegedly involved with one of the aides that was fired,” Kraft said in a statement Tuesday.
Kraft called on Wu to release the results of the internal investigation and to say whether either employee will be receiving severance payouts. He pointed to a 2023 incident where a City Hall Cabinet chief under Wu was accused of fostering a toxic work environment as further evidence that the mayor is responsible for “a workplace culture and ethics problem at the highest levels of City Hall.”
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