An Indianapolis City-County Council meeting was briefly disrupted Monday night when a woman speaking during the public comment period exceeded her allotted time and refused to yield the floor, prompting her removal by sheriff’s deputies.
The woman, Lauren Roberts, a former city employee and sexual harassment survivor, used her time at the podium to criticize how city officials handle misconduct complaints. She referenced her own experience and called for increased accountability and transparency.
“I’m here to demand accountability,” Roberts said. She went on to question the city’s response to survivors and said, “This city owes us justice.”
After several minutes, council leadership informed Roberts that her time had expired and asked her to step away from the microphone. She did not comply.
Roberts continued speaking, stating, “Time? How much time do survivors get before the city’s silence kills us?” At that point, deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office approached her and escorted her out of the council chambers without incident.
The room remained mostly silent during the exchange. No councilors responded publicly at the time.
Following the incident, Roberts addressed the media outside the chamber and reiterated her concerns about how survivors are treated by city government. A small group of supporters accompanied her.
The meeting resumed shortly afterward, with councilors moving forward on the agenda without further discussion of the disruption. Council leadership later characterized the removal as a procedural matter and stated that all speakers are expected to follow public comment rules.
Roberts has previously spoken out about her experience and has advocated for changes to city policies related to harassment and misconduct investigations.
Indy Politics received reactions to tonight’s meeting from Council President Vop Osili, Crista Carlino, who chaired the investigative committee, and Ron Gibson, who said he supported the Mayor.
You can hear them in the audio above.
