Lawsuit claims NYC Mayor Adams demanded oral sex from colleague for career help in '93

The shocking lawsuit claims come as Adams faces several legal headaches.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating Adams’ 2021 campaign over allegations that the Turkish government funneled illegal foreign cash into its coffers, a probe that prompted FBI agents to seize the mayor’s cellphones and raid the home of his chief political fundraiser last year. Just last month, FBI agents raided the Bronx homes of Winnie Greco, a top Adams adviser at City Hall, as part of a separate investigation led by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn. Adams has not been accused of wrongdoing in either of those investigations.

The employment issue Beach-Mathura alleges she wanted Adams’ help in resolving involved her attempts to get promoted to become a principal administrative assistant at the Transit Police Department.

Having for years worked as an administrative assistant, a job that included taking incident reports, assigning patrols and other clerical duties, Beach-Mathura alleged she was “passed over” for a bump to principal multiple times despite scoring better on promotional exams than the colleagues who ended up getting the job.

She alleges she believes she was snubbed of a promotion due to the Transit Police Department’s “well-known, discriminatory and retaliatory hostile environment,” especially against female and Black employees. The Transit Police Department was a separate agency at the time, but became part of the NYPD in 1995.

Before going to Adams for help, Beach-Mathura says she complained to a lieutenant in the Transit Police Department’s personnel office, who was “unhelpful” and told her she should transfer to a different city agency if she wanted a promotion.

Hinds-Radix, the corporation counsel, said in her statement it’s “ludicrous” to suggest Adams would’ve had any power to help Beach-Mathura get a promotion since he had no “sway over promotions of civilian employees” in his capacity as a transit officer.

When Beach-Mathura first filed her notice of claim in November, Adams responded by saying he had never met her. His office did not immediately return a request for comment on that issue.

The alleged assault took place just before Adams launched an ultimately unsuccessful campaign against late Brooklyn Congressman Major Owens in the 1994 election, his first run for public office. Years earlier, in 1991, Adams helped lead a sexist smear campaign against a female Transit Police Department employee who blew the whistle on criminal wrongdoing at the agency — actions Adams apologized for during the 2021 mayoral race, according to a report by The City.

Beach-Mathura has filed a number of lawsuits over the years, including one against Miami-Dade County in which she claimed she was abused by students, including “a 6-year-old,” while working as a teacher. That suit was dismissed without any damages being paid out to Beach-Mathura. It’s unclear why the suit was dismissed.

Beach-Mathura brought the suit against Adams under the Adult Survivors Act, a state law that opened a one-year window for sexual misconduct victims to sue their assailants even if a statute of limitations is expired. She filed her notice of claim the day before that window expired.

“She believes sexual abusers must be held to account, no matter who they are,” said Megan Goddard, Beach-Mathura’s lawyer.