New York mayor denies sex assault claim amid flurry of last-minute suits

This photo, released by Office of the New York Mayor, shows New York Mayor Eric Adams meeting with his Retail Theft Task Force at Gracie Mansion, in New York, Nov. 8, 2023. FBI agents seized phones and an iPad from Adams this week as part of an investigation into his campaign finances, according to a published report, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office via AP)

New York, United States — New York Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a female coworker 30 years ago, as the state sees a flurry of lawsuits filed ahead of a statute of limitations deadline.

The complaint against Adams, filed Wednesday, alleges “sexual assault, battery and employment discrimination based on Plaintiff’s gender and sex, retaliation, hostile work environment and intentional infliction of emotional distress,” according to court documents.

The Democratic mayor “vigorously” denies the claim, his office said, arguing he does not know the plaintiff and would never cause anyone physical harm.

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Adams followed up by telling reporters “I will never do anything to harm anyone. That has never happened.”

The civil suit, first reported by The Messenger news site, alleges the 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.”

According to a summons dated Wednesday, the woman is seeking a trial and at least $5 million in relief.

“The mayor does not know who this person is. If they ever met, he doesn’t recall it,” a City hall spokesperson said in a statement.

“But he would never do anything to physically harm another person and vigorously denies any such claim.”

The suit was submitted under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a law passed last year that opened a one-year window for sexual assault claims to be filed that otherwise happened too far in the past to litigate.

That window expires Friday.

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Sexual assault lawsuits were also filed Wednesday against US actor Jamie Foxx and Guns N’ Roses front man Axl Rose.

Those suits follow a rape complaint against rapper Sean Combs, filed last week by R&B singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura.

A day after that filing, the parties said they had agreed to resolve the case, but did not disclose the settlement terms.

On Thursday, a second suit was filed against Combs, known popularly as “P. Diddy,” US media reported.

Former US president Donald Trump was also sued under the law by former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, whom a jury awarded $2 million in May.

Adams, a former police officer who took office in January 2022 as New York’s second Black mayor, also faces a corruption investigation into campaign financing. Federal investigators are probing whether Adams’s 2021 campaign conspired with Turkey’s government and other actors.