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LGBTQIA+ Deputy Director facing felony charges received 63% raise in one year.

Sunday, July 6, 2025•
3 min read
MDN Staff
•
LGBTQIA+ Deputy Director facing felony charges received 63% raise in one year.

While Boston taxpayers faced rising bills, City Hall gave a $45K raise to an equity official who was later charged with felony assault after allegedly slamming a woman into a wall. City Hall withheld information to the public for months.

BOSTON — In Mayor Michelle Wu’s Boston, some city officials get 63% raises. Others get felony charges. One managed both.
As commercial property values fall and Boston residents brace for higher tax bills, City Hall spending continues to climb — especially within the city’s growing equity bureaucracy. One of the clearest examples: a $45,000 raise for the Deputy Director of LGBTQIA+ Advancement, a title unfamiliar to many taxpayers but quietly increased from $71,000 to $116,571 in a single year.
Source: City of Boston Employee Earnings Report
The official who received that raise, Daunasia Yancey, was arrested on April 11 and charged with felony assault for allegedly slamming a woman into a wall during a domestic dispute.
But instead of disclosing the arrest, the city kept it quiet. Yancey remained on paid leave for nearly a month, and was only moved to unpaid status on May 7, after what City Hall described as “more specific information” came to light.
The public remained unaware until a report by Mass Daily News revealed the arrest and the months of silence that followed. Original MDN report

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As of this week, Yancey is still listed as an active City of Boston employee.
Daunasia Yancey, Boston’s Deputy Director of LGBTQIA+ Advancement, received a 63% raise before being arrested in April on a felony assault charge. She remains employed by the City of Boston.
Daunasia Yancey, Boston’s Deputy Director of LGBTQIA+ Advancement, received a 63% raise before being arrested in April on a felony assault charge. She remains employed by the City of Boston.

What we know:

  • Arrest date: April 11
  • Paid leave ended: May 7
  • 2023 salary: $71,000
  • 2024 salary: $116,571
  • Current status: Still employed
The city’s silence on the matter — coupled with the size of the raise — has raised new questions about spending priorities under Mayor Wu’s leadership. While Boston faces a steep drop in commercial tax revenue and growing uncertainty over its financial future, Mayor Wu’s administration is expanding City Hall like nothing is wrong — piling on six-figure equity jobs with little oversight, little scrutiny, and big taxpayer bills.
Critics say it’s not just the raise or the arrest — it’s the silence.
A $116,000 salary. A felony charge. And still, not a single word from City Hall.
Mass Daily News will continue reporting on this story.

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