New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing yet another scandal within his administration as a second lawsuit alleging discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation was filed against a top aide, Timothy Pearson, on Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed by retired NYPD sergeant Michael Ferrari in the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, just months after a similar suit was filed by another former NYPD sergeant, Roxanne Ludemann. Both lawsuits accuse Pearson of creating a hostile work environment through his alleged inappropriate behavior towards female colleagues and his misuse of power within the Mayor’s Office of Municipal Services Assessment.
According to the complaint, Ferrari claims that he witnessed or was told of Pearson’s sexual harassment towards female colleagues, including Ludemann while working in the services assessment office. He also alleges that he was assigned by a superior to monitor Pearson’s behavior around women in the office.
The lawsuit further states that Ferrari’s confrontation with another leader about Pearson’s behavior led to his demotion back to patrol, causing him to lose out on $2 million in salary and pension earnings. This eventually forced him to retire from his 16-year career at the NYPD.
Ferrari’s complaint also reveals a disturbing comment made by Pearson about a migrant shelter project that was scrapped due to flooding. According to the complaint, Pearson said, “Do you know how these contracts work? People are doing very well on these contracts. I have to get mine. Where are my crumbs?” The lawsuit further alleges that Pearson’s comment led to him being referred to as “Crumbs” behind his back at the office. This incident only adds to the tension and toxic work environment already created by Pearson’s alleged behavior towards female colleagues.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for the NYPD stated that they will review the lawsuit once they are served. The Mayor’s Office has also promised to review the lawsuit and hold all public servants to the highest standards.
City Hall has remained tight-lipped about the allegations towards Pearson, only stating that they will review the lawsuit. It is unclear whether any steps will be taken to address the allegations within the Mayor’s Office or if any investigation will be conducted.
Ferrari’s lawsuit comes after Ludemann’s similar complaint in March, which also accused Pearson of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. According to both lawsuits, Pearson seemed to have free reign within the Mayor’s Office and was able to misuse his power without any oversight. John Scola, the lawyer representing both Ferrari and Ludemann, stated that the common thread in these lawsuits is Pearson’s ability to pull strings inside the NYPD without any repercussions.
Ferrari, a graduate of Duke University from Long Island, told the New York Daily News that he had no intention of retiring before 20 years, but the events following Chief Miltiadis Marmara’s removal for standing up for Ludemann made him change his mind. Ferrari, Ludemann, and Lt. George Huang had accompanied Chief Marmara to the Municipal Services Assessment unit to inspect city agencies. According to Ferrari, “At the whim of Tim Pearson, all of our careers were turned upside down.”
The accusations against Pearson and the response from the Mayor’s Office have yet again brought attention to the issue of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior within the workplace. As the lawsuits progress, it remains to be seen how the Mayor’s Office and the NYPD will handle the allegations against Pearson and if any measures will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
