BOSTON — A top City Hall official under Mayor Michelle Wu has avoided a felony conviction after allegedly slamming a woman into a wall — and walked away with no trial, no jail, and no criminal record.

Daunasia Yancey, Deputy Director in Wu’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, was arrested in April after police say she shoved a woman into a wall, struck her in the throat, and fled with a locked safe. She returned while the victim was still speaking with officers and was arrested on the spot.

She was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the wall) and misdemeanor assault. But last week, a judge dismissed the felony and continued the remaining charge without a finding — meaning the case will disappear if she complies with probation.

Her punishment? A no-contact order and an anger management course.

Weeks after her arrest, Yancey appeared on GBH radio to discuss the legacy of George Floyd and systemic injustice — while quietly facing assault charges of her own.

She received a 63% raise just one year after being hired — with her salary jumping from $71,000 to $116,571 while serving in the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement.
📎 MDN broke the raise story here The arrest was never disclosed publicly. No statement from City Hall. No coverage from legacy media. The felony charge remained buried in court records — until Mass Daily News uncovered it.
📎 We broke the felony charge here

Wu has not said whether Yancey will return to her position — or whether a felony arrest should disqualify someone from a six-figure taxpayer-funded job.