Mayor Hogsett dines out after skipping homelessness event amid harassment claims

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — I-Team 8 tracked down Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett eating lunch at a downtown restaurant on Tuesday after deciding not to attend a press conference about homelessness in the city. It comes less than 24 hours after Lauren Roberts — who says she experienced sexual harassment and grooming from the mayor’s former top aide, Thomas Cook — was thrown out of a City-County Council meeting.

At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Hogsett was scheduled to attend a press conference to announce a new initiative with his Leadership Council on Homelessness.

Just before 11:30 a.m., his office announced he would no longer be attending the conference.

“In light of recent events, in order to keep the focus on supporting our unhoused neighbors, this afternoon’s press conference about the Streets to Home Indy initiative is postponed,” his office told News 8.

At around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, I-Team 8 found the Democrat mayor was eating lunch at The Oakmont, a popular downtown restaurant. The restaurant is a few blocks away from the press conference he was set to attend.

Maggie Adams-McBride is a former employee of Hogsett’s, having worked as a project manager in his office.

In early May, she resigned from her post, saying Hogsett did not adequately address cases of abuse and harassment.

“I am deeply concerned about how the administration handles harassment reports, including my own and those of colleagues,” Adams-McBride said in her resignation letter. She never received a response from Hogsett.

She also spoke at Monday night’s City-County Council meeting, joining calls for his resignation.

“He has not been held accountable for internal harm experienced by his workers,” Adams-McBride said at the meeting. “We have heard from survivors who have experienced retaliation, harassment, and systemic neglect, and these patterns don’t just exist in isolation.”

Following the meeting, Adams-McBride went to the restaurant on Tuesday.

When Hogsett left the restaurant, I-Team 8 was across the street and attempted to ask him why he had chosen not to attend the press conference and asked if he had a response to the City-County Council meeting Monday night.

He did not answer any questions at the restaurant.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, I-Team 8 sat down with Hogsett at the City-County Building for an interview and asked him about his interaction with Adams-McBride.

“I was having lunch and so she came up and we did have a conversation,” Hogsett said. “It’s unfortunate that she’s left the office, because I thought she was a wonderful employee, but she’s moved on to different things and I just said, simply wished her the best.”

I-Team 8 also asked the mayor if he was watching the City-County Council meeting and saw Roberts being thrown out of the meeting.

“I thought it was incredibly regrettable,” Hogsett said.

I-Team 8 also asked Hogsett what he has to say to current employees who are fearful of reporting harassment within his administration.

“I think it’s important that we continue to evolve the process for protection for all employees, and that includes confidentiality and anonymity, if they do have concerns,” Hogsett said.

As previously reported, I-Team 8 asked Hogsett if he has plans to resign.

“No, I don’t,” Hogsett said. “We’ve for two and a half years left in this term, and we have a lot to accomplish.”

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