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Nearly 48 hours after Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili ordered sheriff’s deputies to remove a woman at the heart of a city sexual harassment investigation from a public meeting, Osili is calling the decision a mistake and saying he “failed” her, his fellow councilors and attendees.
Deputies forced Lauren Roberts, who has accused the mayor’s former chief of staff, Thomas Cook, of sexual harassment, out of the council’s Public Assembly Room after she sparred with Osili over public comment time limits and continued speaking beyond hers. Roberts, whose prepared comments for the evening had largely centered on not being heard or listened to by public officials, called Osili’s decision “horrific and so shameful.”
On Wednesday, Osili said in a statement that he “regret[s] the trauma to Ms. Roberts and her supporters. An already difficult moment for a survivor was made even harder.” Along with Roberts, deputies pushed out two women who stood at the podium alongside her and became physical with supporters who stood up in her defense.
He also reiterated his support for the council’s two-minute limit for public comment.
“I should have called a recess, created space for calm, and shown a sensitivity in that emotionally charged moment. In that, I failed Ms. Roberts, my fellow councilors, and those who attended the meeting that evening,” he said.
The lengthy statement Osili issued goes much further than his initial comments to reporters that evening, which took place after adjournment at about 11 p.m. He said that “it is never a pleasure to escort someone from our room,” but that the council “has practices we have followed for a very long time” that “others have to abide by.”
His comments also come after Mayor Joe Hogsett, a political ally, told IBJ Tuesday that Osili’s action was “very regrettable.”
“The two-minute rule has a purpose. I understand it, but when allegations of this nature are being made, I think that people ought to have the opportunity to say what they want to say, say it in as concise a way as they can say it, and then have it be considered,” he said.
Several of Osili’s council colleagues—including fellow Democrats Jared Evans, Frank Mascari, Crista Carlino and Nick Roberts—have publicly condemned or apologized to Roberts following Osili’s action on Monday.
What happened on Monday
Roberts attempted to speak before the full City-County Council on Monday evening regarding the fiscal ordinance that would fund the Fisher Phillips investigation. She prefaced her comments by telling attendees that she had crowdfunded to travel from her home in Denver, Colorado, to be at the council meeting.
“This is the first time that you, the council, are actually listening to me,” Roberts said during her comments. “That’s shameful. The council’s Democratic caucus members … have silenced and refused to listen to me outside of manipulative backroom conversations intended to manage survivors and keep us out of the way in your political agenda.”
Democratic Majority Leader Maggie Lewis and Osili both interrupted Roberts to ask if her comments were directly related to the payment proposal. Two women who joined her, Elise Shrock and Maggie Adams-McBride, responded that the comments involved the Fisher Phillips investigation.
“I’m going to take my time,” Roberts said.
“You have 2 minutes,” Osili responded.
“You’re welcome to have me hauled out by sheriffs, but I’m going to take my time,” Roberts responded.
Osili also repeatedly called Roberts, who has been written about and photographed by numerous media outlets in light of her accusations, the wrong name. She corrected him, “My last name is Roberts. I don’t know what you’re calling me.” He apologized.
Roberts went on to accuse Osili and other councilors in leadership positions of being “less interested in getting to the truth and holding abusers accountable than protecting your own power.” The two-minute timer sounded, and Osili told Roberts, “Ms. Roberts, you are done.” She continued speaking.
Sheriff’s deputies then began crowding Roberts and a crowd of supporters that had joined her at the lectern. Shrock and Roberts repeatedly asked that the officers unhand them. The officers pushed and pulled the women into the hallway outside the council’s Public Assembly Room.
Supporters of Roberts, who held signs calling for the mayor’s resignation, chanted “shame” at Osili after she was forced out. Roberts read her full statement to reporters at the front door of the City-County Building along East Market Street.
“Please stand on the right side of history with us: please demand that Joe Hogsett resign,” Roberts said. “That’s what I was going to say to the council tonight before I got grabbed and hauled off by sheriff’s deputies … this is horrific and so shameful.”
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