Report: Former Mets hitting coordinator Ryan Ellis accused of sexual harassment in 2018

Former New York Mets hitting performance coordinator Ryan Ellis was accused of sexual harassment by three women in 2018, according to a report from The Athletic. 

Ellis remained with the team until January of this year despite the organization being aware of the allegations in 2018. The Mets said Ellis was disciplined and initially placed on “probationary status" due to those allegations. 

"We immediately commenced a new investigation and terminated the employee on January 22," the Mets said in a statement to The Athletic. 

The news comes on the heels of the Mets firing general manager Jared Porter after he sent harassing text messages to a female reporter. The Mets fired Ellis shortly after Porter's firing. 

One woman told The Athletic that Ellis made several graphic, sexually explicit comments to her. According to The Athletic's report, the woman kept a journal of her experiences.

All things Mets: Latest New York Mets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Athletic report also stated that another woman had a "brief sexual relationship" with Ellis in 2017 but ended it. According to the report, "for months afterward, she received persistent, unwanted text messages from Ellis that were sexual in nature." This woman reported these incidents to human resources, sharing at least one of the text messages, according to the report.

The report also said a third woman "told her supervisor that Ellis often made sexually suggestive comments to her and other low-level female employees and that he would call her late in the evening and ask if her boyfriend was home." This woman, according to The Athletic, reported this to human resources.

The Mets did not reveal to The Athletic what new information led them to start the new investigation of Ellis that led to his dismissal. 

Former Mets manager Mickey Callaway has also been accused by five women of sexual harassment, according to The Athletic. He was suspended by the Los Angeles Angels, where he has served as pitching coach since October 2019. 

The Bergen Record contributed to this report.