The problems with sexual harassment at the Mets are getting worse.
The Athletic reported Wednesday that three women who either worked or worked for the Mets reported disturbing conversations between each other and that performance coordinator Ryan Ellis struck in the summer of 2018 to Aubrey Wechsler, the then manager of the team’s employee relations is.
One employee told Weschler that Ellis told her, ‘I stare at your ass all the time. If only I could have 15 minutes alone with you. ‘
Ellis remained employed by the Mets until he was quietly let go after the sacking of GM Jared Porter in January, after Porter admitted sending inappropriate texts to a reporter while working for the Cubs.
“On January 19 of this year, following the termination of Jared Porter, we received new information about the conduct of the Disciplined Employee in the period 2017-2018,” the Mets said in a statement to The Athletic.
“We immediately began a new investigation and terminated the employee on January 22 for violating company policy and failure to meet Mets standards of professionalism and personal conduct.”
It is unclear what new information came in January or why the team decided not to act more seriously in previous accusations. The initial investigation into Ellis took place at about the same time as the Mets were investigating a previous indictment against Mickey Callaway, then the Mets driver.
The seriousness of the allegations against Callaway – now the Angels coach – was recently revealed in a separate report by The Athletic. Callaway is currently suspended because MLB and the Angels are investigating further.
Ellis spent most of his tenure at the Mets, which began in 2006, at a minor level. He was promoted to the top league staff last season when coach Chile Davis opted for COVID-19.
The first prosecutor, who kept a journal in which she documented the allegations, said Weschler (who still works for the team) told her she needed more evidence to support her accusations. She reaches out to the two other women she knew who had problems with Ellis before.
One woman, who had a brief sexual relationship with Ellis, said he still sent unwanted messages to her after their relationship ended. The third accused said Ellis would make sexually suggestive comments on her and other employees and let her call late at night and ask if her boyfriend was home.
According to the first prosecutor, the Mets issued two weeks later and said the investigation had been completed.
“In July 2018, a complaint about inappropriate behavior by an Mets employee at that point was brought to the attention of Mets management,” the team told The Athletic. “The organization instituted an investigation and as a result the employee was disciplined, placed in a probationary status and ordered into counseling. We have not received any previous or subsequent complaints about this employee. ”
The second prosecutor said she only heard from the team in January when the ‘new information’ appeared.
“They asked about the relationship. They are not really interested in the harassment. “It’s because they caught him in a lie,” the woman told The Athletic.