Brooklyn state Sen. Kevin Parker has denied allegations he raped a woman in 2004, days after the woman filed a bombshell lawsuit against him under the Adult Survivors Act.
Parker was sued on Friday in Brooklyn Supreme Court by Olga Jean-Baptiste, who claims the longtime Senator raped her at her apartment after discussing her trip to Haiti to deliver relief supplies following catastrophic flooding there. The suit was first reported by amNewYork Metro on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Parker said that the allegations are “absolutely untrue.”
“While I cannot comment on the specifics of this litigation, I am completely confident in assuring my constituents, colleagues, and supporters these allegations are absolutely untrue,” Parker said in a statement. “My work and advocacy will continue.”
A spokesperson for Parker, a Brooklyn Democrat who was first elected to the Senate in 2002 and was in his first term at the time of the alleged incident, did not respond to a request for further comment.
Jean-Baptiste’s lawyer, Bob Hilliard, said in response that Parker’s denial is “a story as old as time.”
“Abusers always deny,” Hilliard said.
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said the allegations are “deeply disturbing,” but the matter is not currently under investigation internally by the Senate, due to the ongoing litigation in court.
“The allegations are deeply disturbing and there is a legal proceeding being undertaken,” said the spokesperson, Mike Murphy. “We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action as more information is learned.”
In her lawsuit, Jean-Baptiste said that after returning from her trip to Haiti in 2004, Parker — who represents a large Haitian and Caribbean community in Flatbush — came to her apartment to discuss the trip and review photos. But when she got up to say goodbye, she says he grabbed her by the wrists, took her to her bedroom, and raped her.
Jean-Baptiste says she never gave her consent for any sexual acts. Her attorney says Parker’s alleged actions have left her traumatized over the ensuing 19 years.
Gov. Kathy Hochul called the allegations against Parker “extremely disturbing” but refrained from calling for his resignation.
“As the information unfolds, I may have a strong opinion on that,” Hochul said at an unrelated event on Monday. “But right now, I just want to see what else is out there. Let’s let this unfold a little bit.”
The lawsuit was only possible due to the Adult Survivors Act, a bill Parker voted in favor of last year. The law suspended the statute of limitations on sexual abuse against adults for one year, allowing survivors to bring civil suits against their abusers regardless of when the abuse took place. The suspension of the statute of limitations expires on Thanksgiving, and this week, state courts have seen a flood of new suits under the act to beat the deadline.
Parker said Wednesday he “voted in favor of the [Adult Survivors Act] to ensure all New Yorkers can seek justice and be heard.”
Over 2,500 suits have been filed in state courts under the Adult Survivors Act over the past year. Some suits have accused high-profile individuals, like former President Donald Trump, rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, musician Axl Rose, and comedians Bill Cosby and Russell Brand. Others have sought accountability from large institutions like the state prison system, universities, and hospital networks.
Parker has been no stranger to controversy or legal troubles over his two decades in elected office.
In 2005, he was arrested and charged with assault for punching a traffic agent trying to ticket him for double parking; the charges were dropped when he agreed to take anger management classes.
In 2009, Parker was arrested and charged with assault again, this time for attacking a New York Post photographer. A jury found him guilty of misdemeanor criminal mischief, and he was sentenced to three years probation and further anger management classes, though he denied he had an anger problem.
In 2010, he reportedly called fellow Sen. Diane Savino a “b-tch” during heated sessions over whether to expel another member accused of assault, Hiram Monserrate of Queens, and nearly came to blow with her boyfriend, Bronx Sen. Jeff Klein — who himself was later accused of sexual assault by a staffer.
In 2018, when a Senate GOP staffer tweeted about a car blocking a bike lane with a Parker-issued parking placard on the dash, Parker responded by telling the staffer, Candice Giove, to “kill yourself.” He later apologized.
The following year, he reportedly got into a shouting match with Klein’s successor, Alessandra Biaggi, in Albany, and had to be restrained by two men after he took off and threw down his tie.
Parker ran for city comptroller in 2021 but finished sixth in the Democratic primary. He chairs the Senate’s Energy & Telecommunications Committee.
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