Federal lawsuit against Adeel Mirza, Westchester DA's Office settled

The federal lawsuit that dogged Adeel Mirza’s candidacy for Westchester District Attorney , alleging he had sexually assaulted and harassed a new prosecutor in the office in 2019, has been settled.

The specific details of the settlement with Bianca Brown and whether it included a payment were not revealed, with both sides citing confidentiality, but Mirza’s lawyer, Richard Portale, said the case was over and released a statement by Brown.

“After considerable reflection, I have agreed to resolve my matter with Adeel Mirza and the County. As part of the resolution, I agree to dismiss all claims, including claims against Adeel Mirza of physical contact,” the statement read.

Separate settlements between Brown and Westchester County over her termination in 2021 and claims that she was harassed and retaliated against by other prosecutors were also reached.

The county agreed to pay Brown $10,000 for her claims against Westchester and $1 for claims covering District Attorney Mimi Rocah, former DA Anthony Scarpino and prosecutors Shameika Mathurin and Cynthia Adimari, with no liability admitted by any party, according to the settlement agreements obtained by The Journal News/lohud through Freedom of Information requests.

Brown began working at the Westchester DA's Office in November 2019 and claimed that she was sexually and racially harassed by Mirza, who then was a deputy bureau chief in charge of the Greenburgh branch office.

She claimed that he pressured her to go out with him, and after resisting Brown agreed to meet him for drinks at a White Plains restaurant that month. She claimed in the lawsuit that Mirza urged her to “stick with him” if she wanted to do well in the office. And Brown claimed that as she was leaving, a drunken Mirza put his hand down the back of her pants, grabbed her buttock and asked her why she was afraid of him.

Mirza, who had been on the committee that interviewed Brown for the job, maintained that he never touched Brown or pressured her to go out with him. He said his only mistake had been showing her his recommendation that she be hired, but insisted it wasn’t the quid pro quo for sexual favors that her lawsuit claimed.

Brown soon complained of Mirza’s behavior, though Mirza insists that the claim of physical contact was made up and never even raised until her lawsuit nearly three years later. Top officials under Scarpino found her account credible and significantly different from Mirza’s. They docked him five vacation days and removed him from the hiring committee.

Mirza worked in the DA’s Office for 18 years before he was let go when Rocah became DA in January 2021. Her office confirmed this year that the dismissal was a result of his interaction with Brown.

"All claims against Mr. Mirza have been dismissed, there are none remaining," Portale said in an email. "With this matter finally over, Mr. Mirza is free to focus on his passion relating to issues of justice and fairness."

Brown was eventually terminated in 2021 and filed her lawsuit the following year. She claimed the harassment and assault by Mirza as well as racial harassment and retaliation by Mathurin, Adimari, Scarpino and Rocah, alleging that reports of poor work performance and dishonesty were fabricated.

"We believe that the settlement agreement and the nominal payment is appropriate and the best use of county financial and legal resources," the District Attorney's Office said in a statement. "The Westchester District Attorney’s Office continues to stand firmly by the personnel decisions made during this administration and will continue to hold our prosecutors to the highest ethical standards."

The county settlement with Brown did not cover any claims against Mirza.

Brown went on to a job in the Bronx District Attorney's Office but was fired from that job 10 months later.

The settlement was only finalized recently although U.S. District Judge Philip Halpern was told in early May that the case had been resolved.

Tracey Brown, a lawyer with The Cochran Firm who represented Bianca Brown, declined to comment.

Before Rocah announced in October 2023 that she would not seek a second term, Mirza had decided to challenge her and formed a campaign committee. At the time, the lawsuit had not been publicized.

Although he had the most recent prosecutorial experience, he was seen as a longshot candidate once former Judge Susan Cacace and civil rights lawyer William Wagstaff announced their candidacies. When details of the lawsuit made headlines in January it made his chances even slimmer but he continued to battle in the Democratic primary race.

He all but self-financed his campaign, loaning his committee $670,000, getting another $75,000 from a relative and raising about $21,000, according to campaign finance disclosures filed with the state Board of Elections. He ended up spending more than $740,000 on strategists, lawyers, polling, mailings and other expenses before dropping out on the eve of early voting in June. He endorsed Wagstaff, even making a $15,000 personal contribution to his campaign.

Mirza’s name remained on the ballot and he got 9% of the vote. Cacace won the primary handily and faces Republican John Sarcone in the November election.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Federal lawsuit against Adeel Mirza, Westchester DA's Office settled