(Chris Wade, The Center Square) New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving to strip his predecessor, Eric Adams, of city-funded legal representation to defend him against a sexual harassment lawsuit.
In a court filing Tuesday, the city’s Law Department requested to withdraw from representing Adams in a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted a woman when he was an NYPD transit cop in 1993.
New York City Corporation Counsel Steven Banks said the decision to ask the court to withdraw representation for the former mayor was made after the office conducted a review of Adams’ “right to legal representation at the city’s expense” under existing municipal laws.
“Based on my review of new evidence since the original decision to represent him was made, I have determined that he is not entitled to representation by the city in this matter,” the statement said. “Accordingly, the Law Department has asked the court to permit our office to withdraw from representing the former mayor.”
The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court in March 2024, alleges that Adams sexually assaulted Lorna Beach-Mathura in 1993 when the two worked for the NYPD’s transit division, and Adams was with the Guardians Association, a fraternal order of the police department.
Adams, a Democrat who dropped out of the mayor’s race ahead of last year’s election, has denied the allegations. An Adams spokesman declined to comment on the ongoing litigation, but in a statement said the former mayor “has been proven innocent before and remains confident that the facts will ultimately prevail.”
Beach-Mathura, who now lives in Florida, was hired by the transit police as an administrative aide in 1980 but stopped working for the city in 1994 — a year after the alleged assault, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit accuses Adams of sexual assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and also accuses the City of New York and the NYPD Transit Bureau of negligence. It also accuses Adams and the city agencies of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and enabling a crime of gender-motivated violence.
When Beach-Mathura was passed over for promotions while working as an administrative aide for the Transit Bureau, she turned to Adams, who at the time was a “high-ranking member” at the fraternal organization, according to the lawsuit. But instead of helping her get a promotion, Adams propositioned the woman.
Lawyers for the plaintiff describe lurid details of the alleged sexual assault, saying that Adams drove her to a vacant lot and asked her to perform oral sex on him, which she rejected. He continued to sexually assault her, according to the lawsuit.
“The effects of that sexual assault, betrayal, and astonishing abuse of power, continue to haunt plaintiff to this day,” they wrote.
