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DeVito, who is also a Cayuga County legislator and a member of the city's Zoning Board of Appeals, resigned from the Business Improvement District effective March 28, according to an email sent Friday morning to its members. The email — a copy of which was obtained by ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» — said DeVito "has been an integral part of our organization, and her departure will certainly be felt by all of us."

DeVito, who was executive director of the district since 2015, told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» she resigned to pursue new opportunities "that are more aligned with my career for the future."

The president of the district's board of directors, Dawn Schulz, told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» it is working to find a new executive director. Assistant Director Jesse Kline is leading the organization in the meantime.

The resignation comes as ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» investigates a report it received last fall that a discrimination complaint was filed against DeVito.

This week, ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» filed a lawsuit against the Business Improvement District in Cayuga County Supreme Court seeking access to the complaint and related records. Two Freedom of Information Law requests seeking those records were denied in December by the district, which said it is not subject to the law because it is not a government agency.

The lawsuit asks that the denials be overturned and the records be provided, arguing that the district is a government agency because it  a tax from 110 downtown Auburn property owners of $3 for every $1,000 in assessed value. The state Committee on Open Government has also business improvement districts as government agencies. 

Asked for comment on the reported complaint, DeVito provided the following statement to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½»: "There have never been any implications of discrimination against me, as I've always supported all diverse populations. This is the last time I will address this issue because there is no merit and my record and reputation speaks for itself."