Brian Finnegan, ex-aid to Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci has filed a lawsuit against Lupinacci which claims he allegedly attempted to sexually assault him in 2017. The alleged assault took place in an Albany hotel room the two shared. Finnegan says Lupinacci insisted the two share a room due to budgetary constraints. The lawsuit claims the incident happened at 2:30 am when he had been sleeping and woke up to the assault. In a press conference Finnegan said “In December of 2017, Huntington Town Supervisor, my then-boss in the New York State Assembly, sexually assaulted me. This predator was able to take advantage of me and perform forcible, non-consensual, and unwanted sexual acts on me in the middle of the night while I was sleeping.”
Prior to the sexual assault, there was verbal harassment where Lupinacci would ask about his sex life for years. The physical assault was the last straw for Finnegan who reports, “I was forced to forfeit my career in public service, something in which I took much pride in — helping the people of Huntington and the surrounding area. … At the drop of a hat, all of my hard work was meaningless. All because I was a target of a sexual predator. My life was shattered.” Finnegan is seeking back pay and unspecified damages on charges including assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more.
This case is an example of politicians abusing their power. It doesn’t matter if you are a woman or a male, anyone can become a victim of a terrible crime such as sexual assault. No one should be verbally harassed or physically assaulted. We’ll have to see how this plays out in court. If the charges prove to be true and Lupinacci is found guilty the plaintiff should receive compensation. No one should have to lose their career because of fear of an attack or being near a person who has forcibly touched you, but that can happen. Fear overcomes us and memories of trauma cloud a person’s brain. It can make it impossible to focus on tasks that may otherwise have been simple.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault please call our office at 516-222-4000 for a free consultation. It’s completely confidential and we will go over what options you have. Our compassionate lawyers will do our best to help you obtain justice and compensation.
Goldstein and Bashner
