The former head of the NYPD’s hate crime bureau claims in a new lawsuit that Mayor Eric Adams “destroyed” her personal and professional reputation over claims that she didn’t take seriously an attack on an Asian American woman.
Inspector Jessica Corey filed suit against Adams and the city Tuesday, alleging she was defamed by the mayor after Esther Lee — who was spit on and called a “carrier” on the subway in October 2021 — accused her of downplaying the attack.
“Corey was subjected to utterly baseless statements, [and] her personal and professional reputation were destroyed,” the Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit states. “She was publicly embarrassed and humiliated.”
Lee had claimed to ABC News that Corey told her she shouldn’t have recorded the suspect and that the incident wasn’t a hate crime.
The mayor was asked about Lee’s comments in an interview with ABC that aired on Feb. 16.
“This is the first time someone has come to me with concerns,” Adams said.
“I don’t want a leader in that area that starts off with saying why something is not a possible hate crime,” he said.
“It would be troubling to me to see if someone is not clear on the direction I want my hate crime unit to perform. I don’t know what the criterias were under other administrations, but we have a new day, and we’re going to have a new way.”
The NYPD confirmed the day of the ABC interview that Corey – a 30-year-department veteran – had been reassigned.
In her lawsuit, Corey, who still works for the NYPD, also accused City Council Member Julie Won of defamation for saying during a virtual meeting for the Committee on Public Safety on May 3 that Corey had dismissed “Asian hate crimes when they were reported.”
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