The Mets ’sexual harassment issues seem to be getting worse.
Athletic reported Wednesday that three women who worked or had worked for the Mets reported disturbing exchanges between them and beat performance coordinator Ryan Ellis in the summer of 2018 to Aubrey Wechsler, then an employee relations manager. of the team.
An employee told Weschler that Ellis told him, “I look at my ass all the time. If only I could have 15 minutes alone with you. “
Ellis remained busy with the Mets until he was quietly released after the dismissal of GM Jared Porter in January, after Porter admitted to sending inappropriate texts to a journalist while working for the Cubs.
“On January 19 this year, following the dismissal of Jared Porter, we received new information about the conduct of the disciplined employee in the 2017-2018 period,” the Mets said in a statement to Athletic.
“We immediately began a new investigation and fired the employee on Jan. 22 for violating company policy and violating 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 severely on the previous allegations. The initial investigation into Ellis occurred at about the same time the Mets were studying a preliminary indictment against Mickey Callaway, the Mets’ manager.
The seriousness of the allegations against Callaway (now Angels pitching coach) recently came to light in a separate report from The Athletic. Callaway is currently suspended while MLB and the Angels investigate further.
Ellis spent most of his tenure with the Mets, which began in 2006, at the minor league level. Last season he was promoted to the major league squad when coach Chili Davis opted for the concerns of COVID-19.
The first accuser, who kept a diary documenting the allegations, said Weschler – who still works for the team – told her she needed more evidence to support her allegations. He contacted the other two women he knew who had previously had problems with Ellis.
One woman, who had a brief sexual relationship with Ellis, said she continued to send him unwanted messages once their relationship ended. The third accuser said Ellis would make sexually suggestive comments to her and other employees, and would call her late at night and ask if her boyfriend was home.
According to the first accuser, the Mets contacted two weeks later and said the investigation was over.
“In July 2018, Mets management was notified of a complaint about misconduct by a Mets employee at the time,” the team told Athletic. “The organization initiated an investigation and, as a result, disciplined the employee, went into a state of probation and was ordered to counsel. We had not received any previous or subsequent complaints about this employee.”
The second prosecutor said she had no news of the team until January, when “new information” appeared.
“They were asking about the part of the relationship. They weren’t really interested in harassment. It was about capturing him in a lie, ”the woman told Athletic.