Felix G. Arroyo (born May 25, 1979) is an American political figure from Boston. Arroyo was elected to an at-large seat on the Boston City Council in November 2009, and re-elected in November 2011, serving for two terms before unsuccessfully running for Mayor of Boston in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

. He subsequently served as the city's Chief of Health and Human Services from 2014 until his dismissal in 2017 following an investigation into sexual harassment allegations.

Early life

Arroyo is the son of former Boston City Councilor Felix D. Arroyo. He attended Boston public schools and is a graduate of University of Massachusetts Boston. He also earned a master's degree from Southern New Hampshire University. Prior to being elected to the Boston City Council, Arroyo served as a field director at Northeast Action and Political Director for the Service Employees International Union Local 615.

Political career

When he was twenty, Arroyo started working as the director of constituent services for Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner.

Boston City Council

Arroyo was an at-large member of the Boston City Council from January 2010 to January 2014. During his time on the City Council, he developed legislation called "Invest in Boston" to invest Boston's money in banks that invest in Boston to help promote economic development. He led the effort on the council to save thousands of youth summer jobs and prevent the closures of libraries. In partnership with fellow councilor

Michael P. Ross Michael P. Ross is an American lawyer and former politician from Boston, Massachusetts, who represented District 8 (which includes Beacon Hill, Back Bay, and the Fenway) on the Boston City Council from 2000 through 2013. He was an unsuccessful ...

, Arroyo attempted to have the city to cancel contracts with companies based in the state of Arizona after Arizona adopted

Arizona SB 1070 The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and commonly referred to as Arizona SB 1070) is a 2010 legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that was the broadest and strictest a ...

in 2010. Arroyo did not seek reelection to the council in 2013, instead seeking election as mayor.

Mayoral run

In April 2013, Arroyo announced his candidacy for the Boston mayoral election. He officially kicked off his campaign on June 15, at Villa Victoria. Arroyo lost in the September preliminary election, having received 9,888 votes and finishing fifth in a field of 12, where the top two vote-getters advance to the November

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

. After being eliminated, he endorsed Marty Walsh in the general election.

Chief of Health and Human Services

In January 2014, Mayor Marty Walsh named Arroyo as the Chief of Health and Human Services for Boston. Arroyo was the first Cabinet-level position announced by the newly elected mayor. Walsh cited Arroyo's ability to bring people together and work collaboratively, as well as his understanding of the importance of addressing the needs of Boston's most vulnerable population.

Sexual harassment investigation and dismissal

On July 28, 2017, Arroyo was placed on paid administrative leave from his position at the Boston Department of Health. Although this was confirmed by Mayor Walsh, no further details were made available. On August 24, 2017, a spokesperson for Mayor Walsh announced that Arroyo had been fired after a "comprehensive investigation" into sexual harassment allegations. Arroyo's accuser initially filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD); that complaint was withdrawn in November 2017, in lieu of a civil suit against Arroyo and the City of Boston filed in March 2018. , the case was still active and had not yet gone to trial. In August 2020, Arroyo filed suit against the City of Boston and Mayor Walsh alleging breach of contract, negligence, and defamation.

Personal life

Arroyo is a lifelong Bostonian, born in the South End, raised in

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

, and a graduate of the

Boston Public Schools Boston Public Schools (BPS) is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest public school district in the state of Massachusetts. Leadership The district is led by a Superintendent, hired by the ...

. He lives in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. In addition to his father having previously served on the Boston City Council, his brother Ricardo Arroyo took office in January 2020 representing District 5. , Arroyo's LinkedIn profile lists his occupation as Chief Operating Officer at El Mundo Boston, a Latino media outlet.

Electoral history

City Council

Mayor

References

External links

Arroyo's mayoral campaign website
from April 2013 via Wayback Machine {{DEFAULTSORT:Arroyo, Felix G Boston City Council members Living people Hispanic and Latino American city council members University of Massachusetts Boston alumni Southern New Hampshire University alumni 1979 births Service Employees International Union people American politicians of Puerto Rican descent Massachusetts Democrats People from South End, Boston People from Jamaica Plain People from Hyde Park, Boston