Ex-aide, Sofia Quintanar, filed a lawsuit against NY AG Letitia James

An ex-assistant filed a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday, alleging that she covered up the sexual harassment and abuse by Ibrahim Khan, her former chief of staff, who "stuck his tongue down" the victim's throat. Sofia Quintanar, 33, claims in a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit that Khan, who resigned after being hit with numerous sexual harassment charges, forced his tongue down her throat at a political fundraiser in Brooklyn on November 17, 2021. Additionally, she alleges that the AG's office covered up the charges against Khan, who served as James' chief of staff for ten years, and that they gave "misleading statements to the press" that "he was on vacation or with a sick relative" while, in reality, he had been suspended for two months pending an investigation. Furthermore, sources previously informed The Post that the complaints were made before Election Day and kept hidden as James easily won. Following an investigation, the AG's office came to the conclusion on December 2 that Khan had harassed and mistreated two former employees sexually. Also Read: Taking pictures of a teacher’s Z-sized breast implants is X-rated and punishable in this Canadian school Nevertheless, Khan was given permission to resign on November 22 before the investigation was finished, with salary through the end of the year and no public comments regarding the allegations. Quintanar first became aware of Attorney General James' approval of Khan's resignation without publicly disclosing the grounds for it "from press reports," the lawsuit claims. [caption id="attachment_72957" align="aligncenter" width="1296"] New York Attorney General Letitia James
MONICA SCHIPPER/GETTY IMAGES[/caption]

More details

Sofia Quintanar is also bringing an unspecified damages claim against Khan, the AG James' campaign. In addition, negligence, discrimination, and retaliation are among the allegations made against James, her office, and her campaign. Quintanar claims in the lawsuit that James and the office should have safeguarded her and that they were careless in selecting and managing Khan. According to the lawsuit, James permitted a press office assistant to secretly depart "under similar circumstances" in 2019. Moreover, Quintanar joined the AG's office in 2020 as a deputy press secretary but departed in July 2021 to work for Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown who was seeking re-election. Additionally, she went to the fundraiser where the claimed attack occurred because she was looking for a new job after Brown was successfully re-elected. [caption id="attachment_72961" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] Sofia Quintanar[/caption]

The incident

According to the lawsuit, things were cordial when Quintanar first met Khan and he even offered her and a friend a drink. The court documents state that Khan then forced Quintanar outside under the pretext that it was too noisy inside the venue. The lawsuit claims that after Khan was outside, he "rested the weight of his hand on Quintanar’s shoulder, and shoved his face forward aggressively to kiss her, without saying a word. He then stuck his tongue down her throat, still holding her shoulder." After that, a "stunned" Quintanar pushed him aside and inquired, "Aren’t you married? Don’t you have kids? What are you doing?” according to the lawsuit. Khan attempted to kiss her again, but she retreated, the lawsuit claims. Moreover, Quintanar claims she delayed telling anybody about what happened to her until this past fall out of fear of ruining her career given Khan's fame and influence in New York Democratic politics. But over time, she allegedly learned that a different former coworker had accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to the court documents. [caption id="attachment_72963" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] Ibrahim Khan is accused of kissing a former aide without her consent.
New York State Attorney General[/caption] According to the lawsuit, Quintanar informed an investigator in the AG's office about her allegations in October and anxiously awaited the investigation's findings throughout the fall. She was then shocked to learn that the AG's office had permitted him to resign and issue a public statement "in which he took a victory lap for his time working" for the AG.

Bottom line

In a statement, Sofia Quintanar expressed her hope that by speaking up, women of color will be given a voice in the #MeToo movement. Quintanar's statement adds, "While I fear the effect that this might have on my career, I know that fear should never stand in the way of doing what is right. I hope I can give other survivors the courage to find their voice and hold those in positions of power responsible for their actions when they demonstrate the belief that they are above the law.” Douglas Wigdor and Valdi Licul, her attorneys, asserted, "This case is not about politics. It is about abuse of power, the absence of appropriate oversight, and the vindication of the rights of Ms. Quintanar. We will leave no stone unturned in our quest for justice and accountability.” On the other hand, a representative for the AG said, "We took the allegations brought to our office seriously and engaged in decisive, prompt, and appropriate action."