New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit, documents filed with the Supreme Court of the State of New York reveal.
The suit, brought by a woman who says she worked with the Democrat as employees of the city three decades ago, alleges serious charges including sexual assault, battery, and employment discrimination based on gender, in addition to claims of retaliation and the creation of a hostile work environment. The filing did not go into details about Lorna Beach Mathura's claims.
The notice filed electronically Wednesday has not yet been processed by the clerk and seeks no less than $5 million dollars, as well as attorney's fees and interest, at a jury trial. The complaint references violations of multiple legal frameworks, including the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York City Human Rights Law, and the Victims of Gender Motivated Violence Protection Act.
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for City Hall told NBC New York that the mayor doesn't know who the plaintiff is.
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“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 spokesperson said.
Megan Goddard, the attorney listed in court papers as representing Mathura, was not immediately reached by phone Thursday. NBC New York has left messages for Goddard, and two phone numbers connected to Mathura were out of service.
A search by NBC New York found several other lawsuits filed under the same name - Lorna Beach Mathura, including an unsuccessful lawsuit against American Airlines in 2014 and another case against Miami Dade County in which the plaintiff alleged being "abused by a 6 year old kindergarten student."
On Amazon's website, a book listed for $9.06 authored by a Lorna Beach Mathura offers pro se legal advice based on "many years spent fighting for myself and others in various courts" including "small claims, civil, circuit, family, lower appellate, and the United States Supreme Court."
The book description includes advice such as "Never give up. You just may win."
When asked in person about the allegations, which date back to 1993, Mayor Adams said: "As you know, I’ve been in public life for almost 40 years. People know my character and I could just emphatically state this never took place. And it’s just not who I am. I would never do anything to harm someone.”
“Mom always used to tell me there are seasons when a lot seem to be going on and at that moment, you have to let go and let God have something to do with it. I don’t recall meeting the person and I’m going to remain steadfast in running the city," he added.
The complaint was filed two days before the state's Adult Survivors Act which expires on Friday, Nov. 24. This law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul last year permits individuals to file claims of sexual assault that occurred when they were 18 or older, even if the statute of limitations has expired.
