Nov. 23 (UPI) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced accusations of sexual assault and battery on Thursday after being summoned in connection with a complaint filed under the provisions of New York State’s Adult Survivors Act.
The summons, filed Wednesday in New York County Supreme Court, revealed Adams has been accused by a female plaintiff of sexually assaulting her in 1993 when they both worked for the city.
The plaintiff is seeking relief of no less than $5 million and attorneys’ fees, according to the filing.
The suit also accuses Adams of employment discrimination based on “gender and sex, retaliation, hostile work environment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
Adams was a New York City police officer in 1993, according to the New York Times.
“The mayor does not know who this person is. If they ever met, he doesn’t recall it,” an Adams spokesman said in a statement issued to media outlets. “But he would never do anything to physically harm another person and vigorously denies any such claim.”
The Adult Survivors Act, signed into law by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in May 2022, allows adult victims of past sexual abuse to file civil suits that extend beyond the criminal statute of limitations. The one-year look-back window provided under the measure expires Thursday.
Its imminent expiry prompted a flurry of last-minute filings against high-profile figures this week, including actions against rocker Axl Rose, Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine and movie star Jamie Foxx.
Another suit based on the Adult Survivors Act was filed last week by singer Cassie Ventura against hip-hop mogul and former longtime boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs. It was quickly settled on Friday.