Ysabel Abreu used to work for the Public Advocate's office. But three weeks ago, she resigned.

Her resignation was the culmination of a tumultuous time in Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ office that included Williams putting his chief of staff on administrative leave with pay, the launching of an independent investigation of allegations made by Abreu and the reassignment of two officers in Williams’ detail.

The spark: an incident that allegedly happened in December at an office party.


What You Need To Know

  • Ysabel Abreu used to work for the Public Advocate's office. But three weeks ago, she resigned

  • Her resignation was the culmination of a tumultuous time in Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ office that included Williams putting his chief of staff on administrative leave with pay, the launching of an independent investigation of allegations made by Abreu and the reassignment of two officers in Williams’ detail

  • The spark: an incident that allegedly happened in December at an office party

  • Abreu claims the incident was triggered when Williams’ detail approached her while she was eating. She claims that one of the police officers sprayed her with a substance

“That day went from being a really promising day to a day that I spent in the hospital fighting for my life,” Abreu said.

“I proceeded to walk to the conference room A where the main dishes were being served. I walked in there and I was followed by the Public Advocate’s NYPD security detail. And at that point, I’m still thinking everything is normal,” she added.

Abreu claims the incident was triggered when Williams’ detail approached her while she was eating. She claims that one of the police officers sprayed her with a substance.

“Within minutes, just feeling dizzy and a bit confused. I was feeling dizzy and weak like my legs, my knees,” she said.

“You never expect to be drugged at your workplace and especially inside a government building,” she added.

Abreu’s claim of being drugged has not been substantiated, and there’s no proof that any drugs were administered to her, based on hospital records reviewed by NY1.

She said the incident didn’t end until she was finally able to physically dial a co-worker for help.

”I was so relieved that she picked up and that was like 14 seconds. I said, ‘Please come, I’m in danger. I’m in conference room B, the small conference room where the deserts are. Please come. Oh my God, what’s going on? Just please come,’” Abreu said. “She was there within seconds.” 

The day was also Abreu’s birthday, turning what was meant to be a celebration day into a nightmare when she landed in the hospital with an elevated heart rate.

“They saved my life on my birthday,” she said. “And it’s so funny because they kept on looking at my chart and saying, ‘Oh, wow, today’s your birthday. So sorry, happy birthday. So sorry, happy birthday.’”

The party was held a week after Abreu had sent her supervisor an email detailing what she called a toxic work environment perpetuated by Williams’ longtime chief of staff, Rance Huff.

Huff has been working for Williams for over a decade, starting when he was a Brooklyn city councilman. Huff has been Williams’ chief of staff for the last six years. 

“A week exactly before the police brutality incident, it was such a horrible day in that office that at some point, I just sent a long email with all these concerns to my supervisor. I was in tears,” Abreu said.

“Jumaane is aware that Rance is a very toxic manager, chief of staff. That he has been toxic,” she added.

What exactly happened on Dec. 18 at the office party is in question and still being investigated.

In a statement, Williams’ office said, “The Office of the Public Advocate received detailed complaints – including an alarming allegation of a colluded assassination attempt via poison during a daytime workplace event. In response, the individuals named were immediately placed on leave and independent investigations were initiated. We will not tolerate harassment, retaliation, or any behavior that undermines a safe and respectful workplace. While we are limited in what we can say during an ongoing investigation, no substantiating evidence has been found, and we remain committed to transparency, accountability, and ensuring every employee is treated with dignity.”

In the wake of Abreu’s allegations, Huff was put on paid leave. He remains on that leave five months later. NY1 has reached out to Huff and has not heard back.

Williams also launched his own investigation into the incident, hiring Verita, LLC, a firm based in Pennsylvania. NY1 has reached out to the company for comment and has not heard back. The results of the investigation are still pending.

Meanwhile, Abreu has filed her own complaints with the Department of Investigation, the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the Civilian Complaint Review Board. The CCRB has referred the case to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office of Police Accountability. All the cases remain pending.

Abreu is no longer serving as the community organizer for housing and health equity. She pushed back against the idea that she took a long time to resign after the December office party.

“I did not resign because I was disgruntled. I resigned because I couldn’t physically go to work anymore,” she said. “My last two weeks in the office, the PTSD became so severe that I was throwing up and experiencing chronic intestinal issues.”

Abreu’s lawyer said she intends to sue the city for damages.

She told NY1 this is the message she wants to give the Public Advocate following the turmoil: “I am doing it for every victim of police brutality and for every city and government employee out there expecting better from their principles, these people that we elect to serve the public. And I'm also doing it for every woman who is trying to survive a toxic work environment."

Abreu worked for the public advocate’s office for less than a year. As part of her lawsuit, she will be seeking emotional damages stemming from the incident. 

In a statement, an NYPD spokesperson said, "The NYPD is aware of the situation and it is under internal review."