A former NYPD aide is suing New York City Mayor Eric Adams, alleging he sexually assaulted her in 1993 while they both worked for the Transit Bureau when he demanded sexual acts in exchange for helping her get a promotion she was previously denied, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit alleges that Adams, who at the time was working in the New York City Police Department’s transit division and was then with the Guardians Association, a fraternal order of the police department, used his position to proposition her.
The suit follows a summons filed in New York County Supreme Court in November under the state’s Adult Survivors Act. Adams has denied the allegations and said he does not know the accuser.
The plaintiff is also suing the NYPD Transit Bureau and the NYPD Guardians Association. CNN has reached out to the parties for comment.
The suit alleges the plaintiff was passed over for promotions while working as an administrative aide for the Transit Bureau despite passing promotional exams and purportedly being told she was “next in line” for a promotion. She ran into Adams, who at the time was a “high-ranking member” at the fraternal organization, and told him of her issues getting a promotion, according to the lawsuit.
Adams offered to drive her home and said they would talk more in depth about her issues, the lawsuit says.
Rather than drive her home to Brooklyn, Adams drove her to a “remote, vacant lot,” according to the suit. It was there that Adams allegedly asked for oral sex in exchange for his help and exposed himself to her, according to the suit.
“While we review the complaint, the mayor fully denies these outrageous allegations and the events described here; we expect full vindication in court,” New York City Corporation Counsel Hon. Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix said in a statement. “Additionally, in 1993, Eric Adams was one of the most prominent public opponents of the racism within the NYPD, which is why the suit’s allegations that he had any sway over promotions of civilian employees is ludicrous.”
Adams denied the allegations while speaking to the media in New York on Tuesday.
“This did not happen. It did not happen. I don’t recall ever meeting this person during my time in the police department,” said Adams, who also denied the allegations when they first surfaced in November.
The lawsuit says the plaintiff rebuffed all of Adams’ advances, which also included him trying to force her hand to touch his genitals and masturbating in the car. He eventually dropped her off at a Manhattan subway stop and never drove her home, the suit alleges.
She is suing Adams for sexual assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and is suing the City of New York and the NYPD Transit Bureau for negligence. She is also suing all defendants for gender discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and enabling a crime of gender-motivated violence.
The plaintiff is no stranger to a courtroom: She wrote a book available for purchase online on how to file lawsuits by representing yourself in court. She writes in the description of the book that she leans on “years spent fighting” in various courtrooms from small claims all the way to the US Supreme Court.
But her lawsuit against Adams was filed by a law firm.
“I am proud to file this complaint on behalf of my client, a woman whose strength astonishes me,” said attorney Megan Goddard, who filed the suit Monday. “She knew that filing this lawsuit would cause her significant personal challenges but she did so nevertheless, because she believes sexual abusers must be held to account, no matter who they are. Her fearlessness and quest for justice are as inspiring as they are important.”
This story has been updated with additional reaction.