Former staffers and interns in Assemblywoman Tennille R. McCoy’s legislative office allege a pattern of severe psychological abuse, verbal mistreatment and intimidation, pressure to raise money while on the job, and demands to perform personal errands for the two-term Democratic lawmaker in a toxic workplace dating back to 2024.
The New Jersey Globe interviewed 22 individuals who worked for McCoy and corroborated claims of how she treated staff, and reviewed dozens of emails, text messages, contemporaneous notes, and a 47-minute body camera recording from a Hamilton Township police officer who responded to a 911 call from a frightened employee inside the assemblywoman’s legislative office.
The Office of Legislative Services and the Department of Labor are reviewing complaints filed against McCoy, and the New Jersey Globe learned that some issues have been referred to the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, including claims that the legislator ran expenses through nonprofit groups.
McCoy has denied every allegation and blamed “disgruntled former employees.”
“I lead this office with the highest professional and ethical standards. In response to inaccurate information being circulated regarding the operations and culture of my district office, I want to make it clear that I am committed to maintaining a respectful workplace,” McCoy (D-Hamilton) stated. “My office is fully cooperating with the review underway through the Office of Legislative Services and the Assembly Majority Office.”
Staffers described a revolving door in McCoy’s legislative staff; she has had six or seven chiefs of staff since taking office in January 2024, depending on how titles are defined. Her current staff is mostly new, with no one there for more than several months.
A former member of her legislative staff said McCoy “screams on the phone, ridicules people and causes them to break down.”
One ex-staffer described a “high-stress working environment” and alleged that McCoy “used interns to raise money.” The staffer said the constant turnover among staffers was because she would “berate people for hours.”
“She knew how to make you feel uncomfortable,” That staffer said.
A third staffer said McCoy pushed back on questions about doing her personal errands.
“This is something you need to get used to,” the person claims McCoy said.
Other staffers and interns verified those claims.
“She forced me to drive her around to events that were not part of her legislative duties,” the staff member said. “She made me go to campaign events. She made me feel uncomfortable.”
A fourth onetime staff member said McCoy would regularly scream at her staff.
“It really is disgusting. It was the same common denominator in the way she treats people,” the person said. “There’s a long stream of people who have been impacted.”
That former staffer confirmed that McCoy “required them to do personal work for her and for her non-profits.”
“She built a system to prop her up,” the ex-staffer said. “There would be retaliation when staff declined. She would write them up.”
An allegation claims McCoy once “took a staffer’s phone and searched it.” Another person who worked for McCoy confirmed that.
“Interns were afraid of her. She caused anxiety and sleep loss,” her former aide said. “As an HR executive, she knew every rule she broke.”
“There would be retaliation when staff declined. She would write them up.”
One former intern told the New Jersey Globe that McCoy “pressured an intern to drive her to a venue that was an hour away in their vehicle.”
“This happened several times. She treated us as Ubers and asked us to drive to advance her, sometimes unnecessarily, just to look good that she has someone coming in before her to an event or venue to scope the scene,” the ex-intern stated. “When interns asked about compensation for driving and gas in their cars, she gathered paid interns in a room together and told them that their pay from their respective programs is their compensation.”
Some staffers claim McCoy “threatened to dock paychecks as punishment” to those who didn’t perform to her liking. Staff and interns also complained that they had to pay out of pocket.
“We were always chasing her for reimbursements,” an ex-aide said.
Emails reflect complaints that some interns were not paid what they were promised, and one ex-staffer said it “took forever for her to put them into the (payroll) system.”
“When the paperwork finally came through, I found out I was making less than what she offered,” the former staff member said.
McCoy disputed requirements that some people around her sign non-disclosure agreements, even though some staffers claimed she did.
“The NDA they made me sign, it’s not the state’s,” an ex-staffer said. “It’s her own.”
In a letter to McCoy, a legislative staffer challenged an unpaid suspension imposed without prior warning or an opportunity to respond, alleging the disciplinary action was based on inaccurate accusations and contributed to a hostile, intimidating workplace. The employee said emails and other documentation contradicted several allegations and expressed concern that the accusations would remain in the personnel file without an opportunity to rebut them.
The staffer described a workplace marked by confrontational interactions, inconsistent expectations, and uncertainty over employment status, saying the experience had taken a significant toll on mental health and job performance.
“I am also concerned about what I believe have become unfair and hostile working conditions,” the employee wrote, citing “interactions that I have experienced as intimidating or confrontational.”
The letter also questioned the involvement of an individual allegedly posing as a human resources professional and raised concerns about additional duties outside the employee’s job responsibilities.
“The current situation is not sustainable,” the staffer told McCoy, requesting written clarification of the suspension, an opportunity to challenge the allegations, reasonable workplace accommodations, and protection against retaliation.
The employee called for “a professional working environment in which disagreements or performance concerns are addressed through appropriate supervisory and HR processes rather than confrontational interactions.”
McCoy rebuffed a staffer’s request to dispute certain claims made against that person.
“Your suspension remains in effect as previously communicated. It will be placed in your personnel file,” McCoy wrote in an email obtained by the New Jersey Globe. “As the head of the office, I have made the final decision regarding this matter.”
The 14th district legislator, who represents parts of Mercer and Middlesex counties, acknowledged the internal investigation.
“For several weeks, I have been in direct contact with human resources at both offices regarding workplace concerns involving a member of my staff,” McCoy said. “I supported the decision to remove the staff member from the office while the review proceeds, and I will continue to provide any information requested so the matter is handled properly.”
McCoy said that “to protect the privacy of those involved, I will not discuss individual personnel matters publicly.
“That discretion should not be mistaken for agreement with the allegations,” she said.
The staff member complained in writing to the attorney general’s office and other investigative government agencies that McCoy had violated “the intersection of official legislative activity with campaign, personal, political, fundraising, or outside activity.” That person said they have received no response.
“The recent investigation involving former Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell, along with continued questionable behavior in the office, has caused me to now try again to elevate concerns I raised more than two months ago that, to my knowledge, are not being handled by the entities I have confided in thus far,” the staffer stated. “The continued silence leaves me concerned that my position and my need for protection as an employee are not being taken seriously.”
“Her legislative office, her non-profits, and her personal life had a single wallet”
Beyond how she allegedly treated people, perhaps the harshest criticism of McCoy was that she liked to plan high-priced events.
“Her brand was just as unethical,” another former staffer told the New Jersey Globe. “She would find non-profits, direct money there, and use the non-profits to boost herself. “
“Her legislative office, her non-profits, and her personal life had a single wallet,” the former staff member alleged.
In one instance, McCoy solicited and received a $5,000 donation from Netflix to sponsor a forum she conducted in Martha’s Vineyard in August on filming in New Jersey. Emails obtained by the New Jersey Globe show that summer interns working for McCoy solicited contributions from Netflix and other donors. According to invoices and documents the New Jersey Globe reviewed, the money was funneled through the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, which then paid other expenses McCoy incurred.
The president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment.
Caldwell attended McCoy’s event in Martha’s Vineyard and participated on her panel. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority also helped fund McCoy’s panel in Martha’s Vineyard.
One person who worked for McCoy recalled an outburst over trophies for the Martha’s Vineyard event. McCoy, writing from her private Gmail account, asked whether they could add a gold plate to the bottom of the trophy with her name on it, but the lawmaker misspelled her own name in the email; her staff caught the mistake after sending proof to the district office.
Another time, a McCoy staffer and an intern directly solicited contributions of $500 to $25,000 from a local bank to sponsor a Black History Month commemoration. Because state law prohibits banks from engaging in political activity, the money went to a local non-profit. Other banks were also solicited.
For that event, McCoy ordered ten trophies to award herself, with her name on them, even though the bill went to the non-profit. McCoy was on the trophy emails and responded to at least one herself.
The name of the non-profit group is being withheld at this time, but an executive who deals with McCoy, and whom the assemblywoman suggested contact to explain how the money was handled, did not return two calls seeking comments.
McCoy and her office used their state government email accounts to solicit contributions. McCoy’s name appeared on event signage. At one event, she spent $1,321 on “swag bags” with her name on them.
A former aide said there were no records of community event expenditures, and two former staffers said she would have the non-profits pay for gift cards to give away at her events, but there was no accounting of them.
“We just sent invoices to the non-profits, and they covered them,” the person stated.
Another former aide alleged that McCoy spent event money on photographers and a personal makeup artist.
One Hamilton pizzeria owner on the list of local businesses McCoy’s interns solicited for contributions said he was “more confused than upset” by the solicitation.
“I gave them some free pies. That’s ok. I don’t care,” the businessman said. “But I still don’t understand what they were for, other than an assemblywoman made the request.”
McCoy said she “consulted with the Assembly Majority Office of Ethics regarding my events to ensure they are conducted appropriately and in accordance with applicable rules and guidelines.”
Not every former staffer or intern criticized McCoy.
The mother of one intern disagreed with the claim that interns had a bad experience at McCoy, saying her child “had a great intern experience.”
“I felt like there were some kids there who felt entitled,” she said.
McCoy called her internship “flawless” and said she was “passionate about mentorship.”
Another former staffer described her five months working for McCoy as “pleasant,” and said she’d “never experienced hearing her yell at someone.”
“She (McCoy) is a very strong person,” the ex-staffer said. “For someone who is not good with organizational skills or multitasking, it’s going to be difficult.”
Another former staffer said interactions with McCoy were “very good” and blamed others for “creating a toxic environment ” and described an instance where an intern was brought to tears.
That staffer specifically denied involvement in fundraising efforts, but emails the New Jersey Globe obtained paint a different picture. McCoy is on some of those emails directly and responded to at least one herself. Still, McCoy denied being involved.
Six former staffers and interns, along with three individuals McCoy suggested would corroborate her account, either declined to comment or did not return calls and messages.
McCoy spent over an hour on the phone with the New Jersey Globe last week and pushed back on the accusations, saying they “paint me in a bad light.”
In a statement, McCoy said, “Every member of this office, including me, is expected to uphold standards of respectful conduct, professionalism and accountability.”
“My responsibility is to ensure that workplace concerns are addressed fairly, appropriately and through established procedures,” she said. “My office listens and responds to constituents’ needs. That includes bringing resources directly to constituents through initiatives such as our veterans brunch and community job fair.”
The two-term lawmaker said she was “proud of the work my office has accomplished on behalf of the families and individuals of the 14th legislative district.”
“Our legislative efforts include a recently passed bill to help homeowners save thousands on their mortgages, continued property-tax relief through the ANCHOR Program and Stay NJ and the creation of paid internship opportunities for students,” she said. “During these challenging economic times, expanding opportunity and delivering meaningful financial relief for families remain priorities.”
McCoy said those accomplishments “reflect the dedication of the staff who serve our constituents every day, and I value their contributions.”
“I remain committed to supporting a professional, respectful workplace while delivering results for the people I was elected to serve,” she said.
Editor’s Note: Over the last few weeks, 24 individuals spoke to the New Jersey Globe on condition of anonymity. Most cited fears of retaliation, while younger staffers and interns said being publicly identified in a news story could jeopardize their future employment opportunities. The New Jersey Globe agreed to protect their identities so they could speak candidly about their experiences without fear of professional or personal repercussions.
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