Friday, April 11, 2025, began like any other day inside Boston City Hall — until one of Mayor Michelle Wu’s senior officials was placed under arrest for felony assault.

That afternoon, Boston Police responded to a domestic violence call at a residence on 5 Mills Street in Roxbury. According to a police incident report reviewed by Mass Daily News, officers arrived on scene around 1:40 p.m. and spoke with a woman who said she had been physically attacked during a dispute involving personal belongings.

According to a Boston Police incident report reviewed by Mass Daily News, Daunasia Yancey, Deputy Director in the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, was alleged to have assaulted the victim by striking her in the throat and slamming her into a wall, damaging it. The report states that Yancey then took a locked safe, and left the residence in a Volkswagen Jetta where she allegedly went to Home Depot to try and open the locked safe. The aftermath was captured on body-worn camera, and it should be noted that while officers were taking a statement from the victim, Yancey returned to the scene where she was placed under arrest and transported for booking.

Felony Charges Filed — But No Public Disclosure

On April 14, prosecutors formally charged Yancey with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a felony, and assault and battery, a misdemeanor. She was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court (Roxbury Division), entered a plea of not guilty, and was released on personal recognizance. A judge found probable cause for the case to proceed.

Mass Daily News reviewed the court docket, which confirms that the case remains active and a pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2025.

Despite the severity of the charges and Yancey’s high-profile role, there has been no public statement from Mayor Wu’s administration. Yancey remains employed in her current role as of this writing and is still listed in the city’s official staff directory.

The Case Disappeared from Public View

Despite being unsealed, the case doesn’t easily appear in MassCourts and can’t be found without the exact case number — effectively hidden from public view. In the days following the arraignment, Yancey’s name was briefly listed on a daily court calendar — but that listing later disappeared.

Mass Daily News reached out to the Mayor’s Office, the Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, the Roxbury court clerk, and Yancey directly for comment. None responded.

This Arrest Predates Other Wu Admin Legal Trouble

Yancey’s arrest came weeks before a separate incident in May involving two other Wu staffers — an event that received broader public attention. But while that case sparked headlines, Yancey’s case — which includes a more serious charge — has gone entirely unreported and unacknowledged by City Hall.

The contrast is striking. In one case: media coverage, legal consequences, and damage control. In this one: radio silence.

A Progressive Brand vs. Public Accountability

Yancey is not a low-level hire. She serves in a senior public-facing position, helping shape the city’s policies and messaging on equity, LGBTQ+ issues, and racial justice. She is also the founder of Black Lives Matter Boston, giving her additional visibility as a civic and activist figure aligned with Mayor Wu’s progressive platform.

Her role, combined with the nature of the charges, makes this case — and the lack of public transparency around it — a matter of significant public interest.

In addition to her role as Deputy Directory in the Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, she’s long been a fixture in Boston’s activist circles. She’s the founder of Black Lives Matter Boston, and over the past decade, she has led protests that included mass street shutdowns, die-ins, and anti-police demonstrations. Her organizing roots stretch back to her teenage years, and she’s been profiled in local press as a voice for racial and LGBTQ+ justice.

That transition — from disruptive organizer to City Hall insider — has drawn little scrutiny. But in light of her felony arrest, questions are resurfacing: What kind of vetting was done? What qualifications were considered? And is City Hall treating activist-aligned insiders differently than everyone else?

A City Hall That Protects Its Own?

As far as we know, Yancey wasn’t suspended. She wasn’t reassigned. She remains listed as Deputy Director in the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement — a leadership role in a department meant to serve vulnerable communities and shape progressive policy.

What would happen if a non-political city employee — say, a DPW worker or school custodian — was arrested for felony assault involving physical violence and property damage? Would they still be collecting a taxpayer-funded salary three months later?

Mayor Wu's City Hall has a code: protect the connected, discard the expendable. When power’s at risk, silence becomes strategy.

In May, two lower-level Wu administration staffers were arrested in an unrelated domestic incident. The administration moved quickly to distance itself, and both individuals were fired within days. But that same incident also involved Segun Idowu, Mayor Wu’s Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, one of the most senior members of her cabinet. Idowu was not terminated. Instead, an external review was quietly launched, and he remains in his position as of this writing.

Now, with Daunasia Yancey — a deputy director and prominent activist — facing felony charges stemming from an earlier incident, the silence from City Hall is even more glaring. No suspension. No reassignment. No comment.

Mass Daily News Broke the Silence

While City Hall stayed quiet, Mass Daily News obtained the court record and verified the timeline, the charges, and Yancey’s continued employment. We contacted multiple officials, reviewed documentation, monitored court listings, and verified the case's active status. We waited for comment. None came.

This story was not covered by other outlets. It did not appear in the city’s press releases. It never reached public court search. But it happened — and the record is clear.

And the worst part? They weren’t going to tell you. We just did. This is your city. This is your government. And this is Mass Daily News. We’re not asking for accountability — we’re demanding it.