The Irondequoit Town Board is calling for Supervisor Andraé Evans to resign after an investigation documented numerous allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation against him.
A redacted copy of the investigation report, obtained by WXXI News, finds that Evans violated the town’s anti-harassment and sexual harassment policies.
The 34-page report, compiled by the law firm Nearpass & Koegel, outlines multiple allegations of vaguely sexual remarks and actions involving a female staffer in his office throughout 2024. When she confronted him, he allegedly retaliated, making the workplace “untenable,” and she resigned.
A statement from the Town Board released Tuesday afternoon called the findings "incredibly disturbing."
Evans is up for re-election this year. The first-term Democratic supervisor took office in 2024 after defeating incumbent Republican Rory Fitzpatrick.
Among the allegations in the report is that Evans responded to the staffer complaining about how people don’t take her seriously because she appears young by saying, “It’s good that you look young, because when you’re 40, your boobs will still be perky.”
In other instances, she reported he told her that other town employees “think we’re boinking,” commented on her “schoolgirl outfits,” and made regular references to her physical attributes.
The staffer claimed Evans also regularly invited her to go out for drinks or come over for dinner, which she declined, according to the report. When she complained about the issues in last August, he allegedly retaliated against her by stripping her of job responsibilities — including removing her prepared public remarks from speeches and taking control of a government email she was tasked with.
A second staffer also complained of similar retaliation, after they allegedly attempted to intervene in Evans’ actions towards the first staffer.
In a phone call Monday evening, Evans said he had not yet seen the investigation report and thought it was a political ploy.
“There have been no charges, no information, nothing,” Evans said. “The Town Board is trying to force me to resign without offering me any information.”
Evans could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, following this story's publication, the Irondequoit Town Board released a statement calling for Evans to resign.
"We feel heartbroken for the individuals who have been impacted by the Supervisor’s incredibly inappropriate behavior," the statement reads. "We believe the best path forward for our staff and Irondequoit residents as a whole is for Supervisor Evans to resign immediately.
"Delaying in doing so is a further offense to the good people serving our residents each and every day, and stalls incredibly important work we must be doing for residents town wide," the statement continues.
In the report, Evans said that the staffer had originally grown combative with him after an incident in July in which a person using a wheelchair flipped over outside the town community center. Evans told the staffer he wondered if the accident was a scam, to which the staffer referred to him as a “typical toxic male.”
He alleged their relationship deteriorated after that incident.
“She just stopped talking to me,” Evans said, in the report. “I didn't care. She barely talked to me to begin with.”
Evans also described the staffer's complaints as “gibberish” and said he declined to apologize because he believed she was misconstruing his actions.
“She's just saying (what) her perception is, I'm thinking I can't help her perception,” Evans said, in the report. “So, she's asking me to change because of what she perceives, but I don't know what she perceives. So how can I address the changes if the perception’s in her mind?”
Evans also blamed issues the staffer experienced on “her mental health condition.”
The staffer resigned from her position in September.
The report also outlines multiple previous incidents in which Evans allegedly made women feel uncomfortable due to sexual innuendo.
For example, the report outlines a 2024 Fourth of July event where hot dogs were being served, prompting Evans to allegedly comment to a group of women “I have a big sausage for you.” Another incident occurred with a plastic skeleton at a Trunk or Treat event in October 2024.
“He literally takes the bones that are dangling in front of his groin area and jingles,” a redacted interviewee reported. “It was very weird.”
The Irondequoit Town Board launched its investigation in October and completed it in November, at a cost of $16,660. But the nature of the investigation, and who it targeted, were not made public.
On Friday, board members held a special meeting where they issued a statement acknowledging the completion of the investigation but declined to offer any insight into what it was about. The statement also said the town had “decided to temporarily suspend any further action.”
“The town board continues to evaluate relevant legal issues raised by the investigation and intends to ensure due process and protect the interests of all parties involved,” the statement continued, “including the privacy and confidentiality of the complainants, as well as the safety of our town staff.”
Evans had insinuated that the Town Board intended to push for a replacement Democratic candidate to take the office.
On Sunday, a joint statement from Democratic Congressman Joe Morelle, County Executive Adam Bello, County Clerk Jamie Romeo, and County Legislator David Long, all Irondequoit residents, called for the Irondequoit Democratic Committee to suspend any vote for party designation until the full report was released.
“As elected leaders who live in and represent Irondequoit, we are deeply troubled by the Town government’s handling of an investigation into a Town official,” the statement reads. “The lack of transparency surrounding this complaint, which may be serious, is inconsistent with our values and a disservice to the families we represent.”
Who might be considered to replace Evans on the ballot remains unclear. Monroe County Democratic Committee Chair Stephen DeVay said Monday that no one had thrown their hat in the ring to challenge Evans.
Morelle’s son, Joe Morelle Jr., had challenged Fitzpatrick in the 2021 election, a year in which the supervisor seat was open after David Seeley stepped down. Morelle Jr., now executive director of Unions and Businesses United in Construction (UNiCON), said Monday that he was not interested in running for the office.
“I tried my hand at that once and it didn’t work out,” he added.
Evans has remained steadfast that he is seeking re-election.
