A messy sex scandal in Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s inner circle has exploded into public view, exposing her and a top Cabinet member to scrutiny which could unravel quickly.

The scandal erupted when Wu’s chief of staff for the Office of Police Accountability was charged with assaulting a police officer. Some irony there.

The assault was in connection with a lovers’ spat involving another City Hall staffer who works as a neighborhood liaison for the city’s office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion.

The chief of staff, Mawra Khudaynazar, and the other staffer, Chulan Huang, were put on unpaid leave after being arrested for assault and battery on a household member. Khudaynazar is accused of biting Huang’s arm as he was trying to hold her. Both have pleaded not guilty.

This has all the ingredients of a tawdry affair in a woke office of one of the most progressive mayors in the country.

The last thing Wu needs is explosive details emerging in the middle of a reelection campaign.

Wu calls the arrested staffers “team members” and says she knows both of them are going through “some difficult situations.”

She has also called the “allegations” disturbing – they are actually charges – and says the city is taking them seriously.

Both Khudaynazar and Huang accused each other of cheating when police responded to a 911 call. Huang accused her of having an affair with his boss but the police report does not specify who that is.

But City Councilor Ed Flynn is calling for the resignation of Segun Idowu, a top member of Wu’s Cabinet as Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. Flynn says Idowu “failed to provide positive and ethical leadership.”

Wu’s mayoral opponent, Josh Kraft, as well as the police union, have also called for an internal investigation of the matter.

Flynn did not outline the reasons he believes the Cabinet official should be fired.

But if Idowu was involved, Wu needs to dump him.

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He’s becoming a major credibility problem. Especially when Wu already has major transparency issues.

Idowu, named a Bostonian of the Year by the Boston Globe and a big proponent of police body cameras, needs to come forward with a complete explanation of what happened and if he had any involvement as is rumored.

Wu’s usual tactic is to ignore it and hope it goes away.

But is this a problem that will be solved by her usual head in the sand approach? At what point will her Teflon wear thin?

Last week it was the school bus accident. This week it’s the police accountability and inclusion office.

Wu is going to end up wearing the scandal if it gets out of hand.

And if it does escalate, it could end up becoming a national issue, further undercutting Wu.

Boston, MA – Mayor Michelle Wu presents the Fiscal year 2026 budget at the annual budget breakfast. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)