This article was updated Monday night following the Lewes Mayor and City Council meeting, where CoastTV spoke with Saliba, McCabe and Reeves.
LEWES, Del. - Lewes Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba has been cleared of unlawful harassment allegations following an independent investigation.
The complaints accused Saliba of a pattern of hostile conduct dating back to the summer of 2025, including intimidation, public humiliation and discriminatory behavior toward city administration staff.
In a statement Monday, the council said the investigation found that working relationships between Saliba, McCabe and Reeves are “deeply damaged."
However, the council said investigators found no evidence that Saliba’s conduct toward McCabe or Reeves was motivated by sex or age. The investigation also did not establish that Saliba intended to threaten or physically harm either official, although McCabe and Reeves perceived certain statements and conduct as intimidating.
“Consequently, while certain of the complainants’ allegations against Mr. Saliba may rise to the level of a violation of the city’s anti-bullying policy, none of the allegations established the requisite elements of unlawful harassment,” the council said.
Reeves declined to comment Monday night following the release of the independent review, saying she had only learned about the findings a few hours earlier and needed time to review them. “I’ve just put in a 13-and-a-half-hour day, and I heard that four hours ago, so I have no comment at this time,” Reeves said.
When asked whether the independent review contradicted the allegations made by her and McCabe, Reeves again declined to comment.
“I have no comment at this time,” Reeves said.
McCabe also declined to comment Monday night when asked about the investigation’s findings. Both McCabe and Reeves then entered a private area of City Hall that is not accessible to the public, avoiding further questions from CoastTV.
Saliba said he was confident the independent investigation would clear him and said he feels vindicated by the findings. “I feel very exonerated,” Saliba said.
Saliba also criticized the allegations and said he believes personnel-related complaints should have remained confidential. “I do think it was very sad that they brought baseless allegations against me and in particular making them public,” Saliba said. “These are personnel-related allegations that are always dealt with in confidence.”
McCabe and Reeves announced their complaints in May and called for Saliba’s resignation. Saliba rejected the allegations, calling them "categorically false."
Following the investigation, the council moved to require Saliba, all other council members, McCabe and Reeves to participate in management and leadership training. The training will focus on effective communication, collaborative leadership, conflict resolution and rebuilding productive working relationships.
Saliba said he is willing to participate in the training and emphasized that the requirement applies to everyone involved. “I’m willing to do anything to make myself better, make the city better. And remember, the training is not just for me. It’s for all members of council and city managers, which I found very interesting,” Saliba said.
The council said the goal is to move forward and continue working together. “It is important to note that council will continue to work together to provide the best service to our constituents,” the council said.
Mayor Amy Marasco later said the city would retain an outside investigator to examine these allegations. The investigation was separate from another inquiry into the removal of a Historic Preservation Architectural Review Commission meeting video from the city's website.
