Mayoral candidate denies harassment, assault allegations

A mayoral candidate who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault in online posts made by a former employee not only denied the claims, but also threatened legal action Tuesday.

Mike Vogiatzakis, general manager and funeral director at Voyage Funeral Homes and Crematorium, was accused of sexual harassment and assault in several social media posts, beginning Sunday.

In the first post, the ex-employee claimed Vogiatzakis made sexual comments, slapped her and put his hands around her neck while she was employed at the Hespeler Avenue funeral home in 2024.

Vogiatzakis said the claims were false and described the woman as a “disgruntled employee,” who first made the accusations after she was fired because she was “unable to do the work (they) required her to do.”

“These (accusations) are false, they’re inaccurate and incorrect, and I’m not going to tolerate false accusations,” Vogiatzakis told the Free Press Tuesday.

“I think the main reason for this is because I’m running for mayor, and I’m going to make a difference for the city.”

In the online post, the woman said she worked for Voyage for about four months and called the experience traumatic.

“During my employment, he repeatedly crossed physical and sexual boundaries with me,” she wrote.

The woman, who no longer works in funeral services, declined to comment on the record when contacted by the Free Press.

She said she resigned from Voyage after she alleged she was assaulted by Vogiatzakis during a funeral service. She contacted the Winnipeg Police Service and the Consumer Protection Board (responsible for the functions of the Funeral Board of Manitoba at the time) but said nothing came of either claim.

“As someone who worked for Mike personally, I hope people really think before supporting him for mayor,” the woman said in a followup social media post. “I experienced sexual harassment, intimidation, and physical aggression while working for him, and nobody should have to experience that in a workplace or in general.”

Vogiatzakis said police investigated the employee’s claims in 2024, and he and several other staff members were interviewed. He said no charges were laid. He said the Consumer Protection Board also investigated her allegations.

The WPS refused to confirm whether the alleged incident had been reported to police, citing privacy concerns.

A provincial spokesperson said the Consumer Protection Office does not confirm complaints and no hearings have been held since oversight was transferred from the Funeral Board of Manitoba after it was dissolved in 2022.

Vogiatzakis said he contacted police about the accusations on Tuesday and was planning to pursue legal action over what he described as defamatory statements.

“I take these allegations very serious, and they hurt my reputation, they also hurt the funeral home’s reputation, everything within our lives,” he said. “There’s no proof. It’s just somebody shooting from the hip and using the public as their courts.”

Vogiatzakis registered to join the mayoral race last week. Election day is Oct. 28.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca