New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke Tuesday about a new lawsuit alleging that, during his time on the police force in the '90s, he demanded sexual favors from a colleague in exchange for help with a job issue, saying the events described "did not happen."
In the lawsuit, Adams' accuser, Lorna Beach-Mathura, said she had been repeatedly passed over for promotions and experienced "resistance all-too-frequently faced by Black and female NYPD … employees in that era." Adams at the time served as a leader in the Transit NYPD Guardians division, so she sought him out for his help.
"Instead of helping Plaintiff get fair treatment at the Defendant Transit Bureau, Defendant Adams preyed on her perceived vulnerability, demanding a quid pro quo sexual favor and sexually assaulting Plaintiff, revealing himself not to be the 'Guardian' he purported to be, but a predator," the lawsuit states.
Adams on Tuesday told reporters "this did not happen," and "I don't recall ever meeting this person during my time in the police department back in '93.
"Many of you know, those who have followed me, I was one of the most outspoken voices for fighting not only police abuse, but also for the rights of people," he said. "My life has been dedicated and committed to that.
"My life has been a clear, open book for almost 40 years now. I have been one of the most public faces in this city, and I have always carried myself with the level of dignity that New Yorkers expect from me," the Democratic mayor continued.
"And I want to say to New Yorkers I'm going to continue to do my job of navigating the city out of the crises that we have been in, just as we navigated you out of COVID, the asylum seeker crisis, public safety, housing crises. I’m focused on doing that."
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The lawsuit states Beach-Mathura learned in the fall of 2023 that New York had passed a law allowing survivors of sexual assault to come forward years after an attack and felt compelled to bring Adams' "behavior to light."
She alleged Adams said he would help her with an employment problem but instead drove her alone to a vacant lot and requested oral sex from her, which she rejected. He continued to sexually assault her, according to the suit.
Beach-Mathura also alleged Adams never helped her with the employment issue and that she eventually left city government in 1994. She now lives in Florida, where she has worked as a public school teacher.
