Lawsuit Accuses NYC Mayor of Historic Sexual Assault

Facts

• New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 1993, according to a court document filed Wednesday.¹
• The plaintiff alleges that 'sexual assault, battery, and employment discrimination' in addition to 'retaliation, hostile work environment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress' occurred while they both worked for the City of New York.²
• According to the three-page summons filed in New York County Supreme Court, the unidentified woman has also listed the City of New York, the NYPD's Transit Bureau, and the NYPD Guardians Association as defendants and is seeking at least $5M in damages.³
• Adams has denied the allegation filed under New York state's Adult Survivors Act — set to expire Friday — stating he doesn't remember meeting the victim.⁴
• A city hall spokesperson has claimed Adams doesn't know who the accuser is, adding, 'he would never do anything to physically harm another person.'⁵
• The lawsuit comes after FBI agents seized Adams' electronic devices earlier this month as part of a federal investigation into political fundraising during his 2021 campaign.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²New York Post, ³CNN, ⁴The New York Times, ⁵The Guardian and ⁶Washington Post.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by CNN. The state's Adult Survivors Act is providing victims of sexual offenses, who can take years to speak up about their traumas publicly, an opportunity to sue their abusers and have their day in court. The charges against Adams may be the latest instance of the legislation enabling women to get justice against influential men.
• Narrative B, as provided by New York Daily News. By allowing legal action to be taken outside the normal timeframe, the Adult Survivors Act has allowed thousands of women to hold the state and powerful figures accountable for their conduct. However, nothing about bringing civil sexual assault claims has shifted procedurally with this law. The act is largely insignificant if it can't bring abusers to justice — even though actions can be taken against individuals like Adams, we will have to wait and see whether any serious ramifications follow a guilty verdict.