The Assembly wants to ban the hearing in a sexual harassment case

BUFFALO, NY — The New York State Assembly is asking the courts to prohibit the state Division of Human Rights from holding a public hearing or other proceeding regarding sexual harassment complaints that a former staffer filed against state Assemblyman Pat Burke, D.-Buffalo, as the Assembly continues to be named as a co-defendant in the claim.

Burke’s former employee, Nicole Golias, initially filed a lawsuit in April 2023, alleging that Burke subjected her to sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment by using inappropriate sexual language and behavior. Among them, she claimed he made comments about her son’s sexual relations after watching “video tapes” and that it didn’t matter if the women were of the legal age of consent.

She also claimed the lawmaker had conversations with male colleagues about the genitals of a man she was dating, that he wanted to spend time with his friends whom he had previously indicated he found attractive and asked her if she pressed her chest on men. when she flirted with them, among other things. Burke denied these claims.

After the investigation, the Division of Human Rights determined that “probable cause” existed to refer a sex discrimination complaint to open court. However, he later amended the complaint to also include the Assembly. In their suit, Assembly lawyers argue that Golias did not initially name the agency as a defendant, nor did she or SDHR advance allegations that they were aware of alleged inappropriate interactions between her and Burke.

Golias was one of three employees fired by Burke following a disagreement over his response to the racially motivated mass murder at a Buffalo Tops supermarket.