On Monday, a former employee of the NYPD Transit Bureau accused Mayor Eric Adams of sexually assaulting her more than three decades ago. Lorna Beach-Mathura, a Florida resident, alleges that Adams exposed himself to her in 1993 after she sought his help with an employment issue. The mayor has denied the allegation, and several of his allies have already come to his defense. Here’s what we know so far.
What does the lawsuit say?
In the suit, Beach-Mathura states that when she was hired at the Transit Bureau as an administrative aide, she was one of the few Black women there who were civilian employees, not police officers. She claims that she experienced significant amounts of racial discrimination and sexism in the role. After being passed over for several promotions she felt she was qualified for, Beach-Mathura claims that she reached out to Adams, who had been outspoken about discrimination on the force, for his assistance. Adams reportedly agreed and offered to drive her home to Coney Island to discuss her situation.
At the time, Adams worked as a transit officer and was a leader in the agency’s Guardians Association, a fraternal organization for Black employees that Beach-Mathura also belonged to. The NYPD and the Guardians Association are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Beach-Mathura alleges that Adams picked her up that evening and drove her to a vacant lot by the Hudson River, where he parked, saying he “wanted to concentrate” on what she had to say. After she explained her situation, she claims Adams offered to assist her, but said he “also needed some help” and “began rubbing his penis through his clothes with his hand.”
The filing continues, “He told her that he ‘needed a blowjob’ from her. While repeatedly cajoling, demanding, and begging Plaintiff for oral sex, Defendant Adams unzipped his pants and pulled out his erect penis.”
Beach-Mathura claims Adams then grabbed her hand and placed it on his penis, telling her to “Give [him] a handjob.” She recalled feeling terrified, but said she pulled her hand away and repeatedly denied his advances, saying “No!” According to her account, Adams continued to masturbate, eventually leaving semen on both her stocking and thigh. He then allegedly dropped Beach-Mathura off at the nearby Chambers Street subway station.
Though she did not submit a formal complaint against Adams, Beach-Mathura states that she told friends, a former boss, and her two now-adult daughters about the assault. She said she “greatly feared further retaliation” if she had reported Adams at the time.
Megan Goddard, the lawyer representing Beach-Mathura, said in a statement that she was “proud” to file the complaint on her client’s behalf. “She knew that filing this lawsuit would cause her significant personal challenges but she did so nevertheless, because she believes sexual abusers must be held to account, no matter who they are,” she said.
In November 2023, Beach-Mathura filed a civil summons under the state’s Adult Survivors Act shortly before it was set to expire. The legislation allowed survivors of sexual assault to file claims against their abusers beyond the statute of limitations within a one-year period. It was reported that the then-unidentified plaintiff was seeking $5 million in damages.
What has Adams said?
On Tuesday, Adams addressed the accusations directly during his regularly scheduled weekly press conference. “This did not happen. It did not happen. I don’t recall ever meeting this person during my time in the police department,” he said.
During a radio show interview Friday, Adams said that he’s always been a strong supporter for women throughout his career, pointing out that five of his deputy mayors are women. “I’ve been an advocate to dismantle all of the issues that women have faced,” he said.
Though Beach-Mathura’s initial filing last year was short on detail, Adams strongly denied any claims against him at that point. “It absolutely did not happen. I don’t recall ever meeting this person,” he said, per the New York Daily News. “I would never harm anyone in that magnitude. It did not happen.”
Several Adams loyalists have come to his defense. City Hall circulated statements from allies including Jackie Rowe-Adams of the gun-violence-prevention group Harlem Mothers Save and Stephanie McGraw of W.A.R.M., an organization that assists domestic-violence victims.
In a statement released Monday, Queens assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar said she’s always known Adams to be “a protector of people” who “empowers and uplifts women every day. He dedicated his entire life to protecting people and would never harm anyone in this way,” she said.
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn of Brooklyn, who is also the Brooklyn Democratic Party chair, cast doubt on the claims made in the lawsuit due to the legal history of the accuser. “Although I take allegations of this nature extremely seriously, the claims against our Mayor raise eyebrows, due to the accuser claiming on record that she is so litigious that she’s written a book on how to win lawsuits — and has filed over a dozen unsuccessfully,” she said in a statement.
The New York Times notes that Beach-Mathura has filed several unsuccessful lawsuits in the past, including against American Airlines and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Board, the latter of which went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court, but ultimately wasn’t retried.
Who is representing Adams?
So far, Adams is being represented by Sylvia Hinds-Radix, the city’s corporation counsel. She issued an initial statement Monday denying all charges against her client. “While we review the complaint, the mayor fully denies these outrageous allegations and the events described here; we expect full vindication in court,” Hinds-Radix said.
On Tuesday, Adams didn’t indicate that he had any plans to retain a private attorney. “Right now, the corp counsel is handling the case and we’re going to continue to allow them to do what they do well,” he said.
Hinds-Radix was questioned at the briefing about the decision to represent the mayor. She said the Law Department has its own process for making such determinations and that it is sticking with its decision. Hinds-Radix also said that former transit officers, like Adams, are entitled to be represented by the city corporation.
“The mayor therefore is not getting any special treatment. He is being treated the way he’s entitled to and that’s why there is representation here,” Hinds-Radix said.
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