Jacksonville City Hall staffer alleges mayor's chief of staff 'accosted her'

A staff member has filed a complaint against Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s chief of staff saying he “accosted her.”

Janeen Sanders, secretary to Council President Anna Brosche, says in the complaint that Brian Hughes approached her in a hallway at City Hall on Monday and "... proceeded to speak in an attacking manger while pointing his finger."

She goes on to say, “I feel extremely uncomfortable based on his aggressive tone, facial expressions, and his physical movements. Mr. Hughes spoke with fierce anger, creating a hostile work environment. I do not feel safe and would like to file a complaint.”

Hughes released a statement on Twitter saying the accusation is false.

Brosche released the following statement to Action News Jax about the incident: “Every employee of the City of Jacksonville should be valued, treated respectfully, and have an expectation of working in a safe environment. I have no further comment regarding the complaint and will allow the formal process to take its due course.”

Chief administrative officer Sam Mousa acknowledged the complaint and said there is video of the incident.

“We were made aware of a complaint filed by an employee of the city council against a member of the mayor’s staff. There is a process in place to handle all such matters and we will fully comply with that process," Mousa said in a statement. "I have reviewed the compliant, (sic) have spoken with the staff member and reviewed the attached video. I find the conduct alleged to be extremely out of character and not reflective of my colleague who I have worked closely with and not reflected in the video. This video will be a part of the review of this matter and we will adhere to all aspects of the review process.”

This complaint comes amid a political war of words between Curry and Brosche over the potential sale of JEA.

Cox Media Group