A Democratic state legislator from Brooklyn has been accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman during a meeting at her house about Haiti relief money, reported the Associated Press on Monday.
“The lawsuit, filed Friday, accuses Sen. Kevin Parker of assaulting her in 2004, during his first term. The woman said she had been working with Parker to coordinate the delivery of items and donations to Haiti after a devastating flood that affected the country and other neighboring Caribbean Islands,” reported Bobby Cuza. “The suit was filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a special state law that created a yearlong suspension of the usual time limit for accusers to sue. The law is set to expire after Thanksgiving.”
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, through a spokesperson, called the allegations “extremely disturbing,” and vowed that “We will take appropriate action as more information is learned.”
The Adult Survivors Act has led to a wave of litigation of older cases that would otherwise have been impossible to bring.
Most famously, writer E. Jean Carroll, who alleges former President Donald Trump raped her in a department store in the 1990s and who had already sued former President Donald Trump for defamation after he attacked her character, also sued him under this law. A jury found him liable for defamation and sexual abuse.
And this month, musician and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs settled a suit brought by singer Cassie Ventura, who alleged rape and abuse at his hands while they were romantically involved.
