New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams is facing a lawsuit alleging sexual assault dating back to 1993. The legal action, seeking a minimum of $5 million in damages, was filed just before the deadline under the Adult Survivors Act. The accuser, an unidentified former colleague, submitted the summons in civil court late on Wednesday night, as reported by The Messenger.
Adams, who was 33 at the time, served as a captain in the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The lawsuit names Adams as a defendant, along with the NYPD’s transit bureau and Guardian Association.
“Plaintiff was sexually assaulted by Defendant Eric Adams in New York, New York in 1993 while they both worked for the City of New York,” claims the 3-page summons.
The lawsuit does not provide further details about the alleged assault. The filing claims “sexual assault, battery, and employment discrimination based on the Plaintiff’s gender and sex, retaliation, hostile work environment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.” It seeks damages of no less than $5 million, in addition to attorneys’ fees. City Hall promptly refuted the allegations.
“The mayor does not know who this person is,” a spokesperson said.
“If they ever met, he doesn’t recall it.
“But he would never do anything to physically harm another person and vigorously denies any such claim.”
The accuser has not yet issued a public statement. The Adult Survivors Act (ASA) was enacted into law by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in May of last year, eliminating the usual time limitations for filing lawsuits related to alleged sexual assaults for a one-year period. This law has led to a surge in civil lawsuits against prominent individuals, including Bill Cosby, with at least 2,600 claims filed in state courts under the ASA. This week, several lawsuits were filed against high-profile figures such as Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., and celebrity photographer Terry Richardson.
Eric Adams, 63, who has never been married, has a 27-year-old son, rapper Jordan Coleman, with his ex-girlfriend, Chrisena Coleman. Adams and Coleman separated when their son was a toddler. Adams is currently in a relationship with Tracy Collins, the senior youth development director of the NYC Department of Education, who is considered the de facto first lady of New York City.
This development arises as Adams faces a federal corruption investigation, focusing on campaign contributions allegedly tied to interests collaborating with the Turkish government. The mayor is also accused of pressuring the city’s fire department to grant a permit to the Turkish government for a cultural center despite major code violations. The FBI recently raided the home of one of Adams’ top aides and seized the mayor’s phone and other electronic devices. Adams, once a favored figure in the Democratic Party, has encountered challenges since publicly criticizing President Joe Biden over the Southern Border crisis.
