INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Moments after a speaking engagement Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Hogsett made a beeline for a door that I-Team 8 could not follow through.

As he made his way Hogsett was asked, “Why didn’t you fire Thomas Cook in 2017? Mayor, why do you continue to dodge questions?”

The questions stem from the sexual harassment allegations against Hogsett’s former top aide Thomas Cook.

Multiple former staffers accused Cook of pervasive sexual harassment over a number of years. Hogsett had said little about the allegations publicly and did not answer reporters’ questions as he walked into the City-County Council chamber’s on Monday.

Two of the former staffers, Lauren Roberts and Caroline Ellert, talked to News 8 on Monday about their experiences and the response to them. They sat just feet from Hogsett at the council meeting Monday. After making his annual budget presentation, Hogsett turned to them.

“I want to tell you both, and the third anonymous individual who also shared her story, how sorry I am for the harm that has occurred and I apologize profoundly,” he said. “No one can possibly understand the pain that you have endured but know that your decision to speak out for changes to better protect women and men of this city has not been in vain.”

Several Democrats on the City-County Council responded to the Democrat mayor’s apology.

“I appreciate him making those statements and I think we’re past the point of statements. I think we need to look for what happened and what went wrong,” said Councilor Jessica McCormick.

“We are taking a victim-centered approach. We’re not taking an establishment. We’re not worried about the blowback on the city. We want to make sure this never happens again,” said Councilor Ali Brown.

First-term Democrat city councilor Jesse Brown is sticking to his guns in calling for Hogsett to resign. “Mayor Hogsett’s ‘apology’ was as late as it is lacking. He should resign immediately and I’m eager to see what the investigative committee turns up.”

Related coverage

• Thomas Cook accusers hope story will inspire other women
• Indianapolis councilors propose changes to sexual harassment policies
• Former Hogsett Chief of Staff accused of inappropriate relationships with subordinates
• Councilors react to former chief of staff sexual harassment allegations
• ‘I want to tell you how sorry I am’: Hogsett apologizes to former staffers
• Political insiders say stronger personnel protections needed
• ‘I would like him to apologize’: Former staffers demand changes from Hogsett after claims of abuse by aide

Help is available for victims of domestic violence. Below is a list of suggested resources on the Domestic Violence Network website:

• Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 24-hour hotline available at 800-332-7385
• Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
• The Julian Center
• Indiana Child Abuse Hotline: 800-800-5556
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673