Speaker alleges city quietly settled suit by former Community Police Commission director, accuses administration of failing harassment investigation

Terry Wong, a public commenter, told Cleveland City Council on May 8, 2025, she is one of four women who have accused Jason Goodrich, the former interim executive director of the Community Police Commission, of sexual harassment and that the city recently reached a settlement with Goodrich.

Wong said Goodrich filed a lawsuit last August alleging he was denied a role because he is white, and that instead of contesting his claims in court the city’s law department used public funds to settle. She described Goodrich as “a serial [sexual] harasser” and said he has collected more than $700,000 in public salary, asserting that the city used tax dollars to pay him rather than pursue a full investigation.

“I am the fourth woman to accuse Mister Goodrich of [sexual] harassment,” Wong said, and she criticized what she described as delays in the law department’s response. She named Law Director Mark Griffin and said he had “over a year to investigate my complaint” but did not do so, a failure Wong said concealed deeper problems in the mayor’s administration.

Wong urged continued public attention to the Community Police Commission and invited people to the commission meeting on May 28. The remarks are allegations by a public commenter; the transcript does not include a city response, details of the settlement, or confirmation of the payment amounts Wong cited. No formal council action on the complaint or the settlement was recorded in the meeting minutes.