A new lawsuit filed by a Florida woman accuses Mayor Eric Adams of sexual assault more than three decades ago. 

According to the lawsuit, in 1993, Lorna Beach-Mathura was hoping Adams, who was then a police officer, could help her get a promotion within the Transit Bureau, where she worked as an administrative aide.  After work one night, under the guise of helping her, Adams drove her to a vacant lot in Manhattan where he demanded oral sex, according to the lawsuit. When she said no, according to the lawsuit, Adams forced her to touch him, then allegedly touched himself in front of her.

The serious accusations come at a pivotal time for the mayor, whose 2021 mayoral campaign is under investigation by federal prosecutors. That investigation is centered on whether foreign campaign money was funneled to the mayor’s campaign illegally. The mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing in that investigation and has said he is fully cooperating.

Beach-Mathura had filled a notice of claim under the Adult Survivors Act in November, which was passed by the state legislature in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement and allowed people to bring civil lawsuits for older allegations of sexual assault or misconduct. Beach-Mathura is seeking monetary damages and a jury trial. 

Beach-Mathura's attorney could not be reached for comment Monday.

According to the lawsuit, Beach-Mathura hoped Adams could help her get a promotion because of his involvement in the Guardians Association, a Black fraternal police organization. The lawsuit states she was repeatedly passed over for promotions within the Transit Bureau because of racism and discrimination.

After running into Adams one day, she described her frustration with her lack of upward mobility. Adams, the lawsuit states, offered to drive her home to discuss it further. Later that day, instead of driving her home, he allegedly drove her to the vacant lot near the Hudson River and assaulted her.

The lawsuit states: “Plaintiff had repeatedly been passed over for a promotion and, encountering the resistance all-too-frequently faced by Black and female NYPD and Defendant Transit Bureau employees in that era, she asked Defendant Adams for help because he had held himself out to be an advocate for equality and fair treatment for Black employees. Instead of helping Plaintiff get fair treatment at Defendant Transit Bureau, Defendant Adams preyed on her perceived vulnerability, demanding a quid pro quo sexual favor and sexually assaulting Plaintiff, revealing himself not to be the “Guardian” he purported to be, but a predator.”

Following the notice of claim last year, the mayor denied anything taking place and said he could not recall meeting the accuser.

 In response to the lawsuit, the city's corporation counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix sent NY1 the following statement: “While we review the complaint, the mayor fully denies these outrageous allegations and the events described here; we expect full vindication in court. 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.”

This is not the first lawsuit Beach-Mathura has filed. She has sued American Airlines and a Florida casino. Both of those suits were for negligence.