New details have surfaced in the lawsuit against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as a former colleague from the New York City Transit Police Department, by Lorna Beach-Mathura, who filed legal action against him in November 2023.
Beach-Mathura’s lawsuit, filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court, accuses Adams of attempting to coerce sexual favors from her in exchange for career advancement advice back in 1993.
The mayor’s office has firmly denied these accusations, with Sylvia Hinds-Radix, the mayor’s corporation counsel, stating, “The mayor fully denies these outrageous allegations and the events described here; we expect full vindication in court.”
The statement continued, “Additionally, in 1993, Eric Adams was one of the most prominent public opponents of the racism within the NYPD, which is why the suit’s allegations that he had any sway over promotions of civilian employees is ludicrous.”
The complaint provides detailed accounts of the alleged incident, which purportedly occurred when Adams was a prominent figure within the NYPD Guardians Association, a fraternal organization for Black officers.
According to Beach-Mathura, Adams offered her a ride home to discuss her career frustrations but instead drove to a remote area on the Hudson River and demanded sexual acts from her, an encounter she vehemently refused.
The complaint further alleges Adams masturbated in front of her before leaving her at a subway station.
The lawsuit alleges that Beach-Mathura feared she would be sexually assaulted by Adams but “tried to remain calm.”
“Plaintiff was frightened not only due to Defendant Adams’ appalling conduct but also because she knew that he, as a police officer, had at least one loaded gun in the car,” the lawsuit stated.
Beach-Mathura claims that Adams never assisted her with the employment matter. She departed from city government in 1994 and presently resides in Florida, where she has been employed as a public school teacher.
The complaint provides much more detail compared to Beach-Mathura’s initial legal claim filed in November under the state Adult Survivors Act, which permits civil lawsuits for specific sexual offenses typically barred by the statute of limitations.
Beach-Mathura has requested a jury trial. Alongside Adams, she is suing the city, the NYPD, and the Guardians Association.
Upon filing the initial court papers just before Thanksgiving last year, Adams categorically denied any wrongdoing and claimed he did not even remember meeting the woman.
