New York State Senator Kevin Parker has been accused of raping a Brooklyn woman, Olga Jean-Baptiste, in a lawsuit filed on Friday. The lawsuit alleges that Parker assaulted Jean-Baptiste at her home in 2004 after she helped coordinate aid to flood victims in Haiti. According to the 10-page complaint, Parker visited Jean-Baptiste at her apartment, held onto her wrists, and led her to her bedroom where the rape occurred. Parker, a 56-year-old Democrat, has not responded to requests for comment.
The lawsuit was brought under the state’s Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily lifts the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits concerning sexual abuse allegations. Parker voted in support of this law, which passed the state Senate unanimously in April 2022. The suspension of the statute of limitations is set to expire on Thanksgiving.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul described the allegations against Parker as “deeply disturbing” and expressed her shock. She expects the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Andrew Stewart-Cousins, to launch an investigation. Stewart-Cousins’ spokesman stated that appropriate action will be taken as more information is learned.
Olga Jean-Baptiste, 49, resides in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. Her lawyer, Bob Hilliard, stated that she continues to suffer from the trauma of the alleged assault. Hilliard believes that a jury will hear the full details of what happened.
