Avi Small, press secretary to Governor Kathy Hochul, has been placed on leave following allegations of sexual harassment made by a fellow staffer.
According to reports by The New York Times and Politico, the complaint involves claims of inappropriate touching during a gathering at McGeary’s Pub in downtown Albany after a recent staff retreat.
Small, a longtime member of Hochul’s communications team, became press secretary in mid-2023, having previously served as deputy press secretary.
In a statement to the New York Post, Hochul spokesperson Anthony Hogrebe said, “Governor Hochul has zero tolerance for misconduct by any New York State employee, and has instituted the strongest workplace protections and training policies in State history.”
An investigation into the allegation is ongoing.
