Ex-Probation investigator sharpens ‘sexual favoritism’ argument after city calls allegations ‘rumors and gossip’ in dismissal bid

A former Department of Probation (DOP) chief investigator has amended her whistleblower lawsuit after city lawyers moved to dismiss it, explicitly arguing that an alleged prior relationship between Commissioner Sharun Goodwin and General Counsel Wayne McKenzie — and preferential treatment that, she says, resulted from it — amounted to “sexual favoritism” and a discriminatory employment practice.

Ebony Huntley, a retired NYPD lieutenant who joined the DOP in May 2025 and later served as chief investigator and director of investigations, says she was fired earlier this year after sending the city Department of Investigation an anonymous staff complaint raising concerns about DOP leadership.