Brooklyn State Senator Kevin Parker is facing serious allegations of rape in a lawsuit filed by Olga Jean-Baptiste, who claims the assault occurred nearly 20 years ago during their collaboration on relief efforts for Haiti. The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, accuses Parker of raping Jean-Baptiste at her apartment in 2004 after a discussion about her humanitarian visit to Haiti, which had recently experienced catastrophic flooding.
Jean-Baptiste, who was working with Parker to gather and deliver necessities for Haiti, alleges that Parker visited her apartment to pick up photos and discuss her work. According to the lawsuit, after a discussion at her living room table, Parker grabbed her by the wrists when she stood up to say goodbye. The lawsuit claims that Parker then took her down the hallway to her bedroom, made a sexual comment, and ultimately raped her, with Jean-Baptiste stating that she never consented to any sexual acts.
The lawsuit was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which extended the statute of limitations for one year for sex crimes, allowing victims to sue their alleged abusers in court regardless of when the alleged crime occurred. The act is set to expire next week.
Parker’s office and Jean-Baptiste’s attorneys have not yet responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit. A spokesperson for state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins stated that they are aware of the “disturbing” allegations and take them very seriously, promising to monitor the situation and take appropriate action as more information is learned.
This is not the first time Senator Parker has faced legal trouble. Known for his hot temper, Parker was arrested in 2005 for assaulting a traffic agent who issued him a double-parking ticket. He was also convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief in 2010 for damaging a New York Post photographer’s camera. In 2019, he engaged in a shouting match with fellow state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi over an ethics complaint related to a social media post where Parker told a GOP operative to “kill yourself.”
Despite these controversies, Parker has been repeatedly re-elected to the state Senate. In 2021, he launched a campaign for city comptroller but finished sixth in the Democratic primary. The new allegations add a serious dimension to the existing controversies surrounding Parker’s behavior, raising questions about the political consequences and legal implications he may face as a result of the lawsuit.