BUFFALO, N.Y. — A claim accusing Assemblyman Patrick Burke of sexual harassment has been filed by one of his former legislative director. This was first reported by the Buffalo News.
Nicole Golias, who filed the claim, was fired along with two other employees in the 142nd district assemblyman's office in May 2022. Golias and the other staff members claim they were fired over a disagreement about Burke’s response to the racially-motivated mass shooting on Jefferson Ave.
Burke is a Democrat representing the 142nd District, which includes West Seneca, Lackawanna, and parts of Buffalo and Orchard Park.
The Buffalo News cites a complaint filed last week with the New York Division of Human Rights, where a former staffer accuses Burke of making inappropriate sexual comments about other people in front of her several times. Some of the allegations include him making comments about his son's sexual encounters and other people's body parts.
2 On Your Side reported last year that Burke said he fired the three staffers for insubordination, but the three felt the real reason had to do with Burke's response to the racially motivated shooting at Tops.
Friday afternoon, Burke confirmed that these accusations have been made in a statement he sent 2 On Your Side.
Burke said, "I terminated Ms. Golias in May of 2022. After her termination, she participated in a media tour spreading demonstrably false and defamatory statements against me. Now, a year later she has returned with more false accusations.
"The fact is, my schedule did not afford me much time in my district office. It was a common complaint of Ms. Golias and her two coworkers that I did not spend enough time around them. When I was there I sometimes observed Ms. Golias making vulgar, crass, and sexually explicit comments. When that happened, I took corrective action by telling her to stop. On one egregious occasion, Ms. Golias asked her two male colleagues if they would perform a sex act on a prominent female politician. I immediately admonished her for this. Ms. Golias responded by laughing and claiming that they talked like that all of the time and that it wasn't harassment if they were all comfortable. I again made it clear that it was unacceptable and to stop.
"After Ms. Golias was terminated, I discovered documents that were left behind. One document was a series of handwritten quotes attributed to Ms. Golias and one of her coworkers on how they best insulted constituents over the phone. Another was an official Assembly citation which Ms. Golias used to joke about the negative office environment she was participating in. On that document, Ms. Golias signed her name.
"I also later learned of a work group chat that Ms. Golias was in where she talked about sex toys, menstruation, and mocked one of her colleagues.
"Ms. Golias's behavior was egregious during her brief tenure in my office and it is an outrage that she would accuse me of the very behavior she not only participated in but fostered. She has twisted the truth and outright lied in the past and she is doing it again for monetary gain. Her attempts to not only attack me but to also cause harm to my family will be fought every step of the way. Her actions are beneath contempt."
We requested a copy of the complaint from the Division of Human Rights, but a spokesperson told us they cannot confirm or deny or comment on complaints.
We filed a Freedom of Information Request with the Assembly to get the complaint. So far, a spokesperson for the Assembly told us they are aware of what was reported on Friday and "The matter has been referred to our Ethics Committee, as per the Assembly's Policy Prohibiting Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation."
Erie County Democratic Chair Jeremy Zellner said in a statement Friday afternoon, "This is the subject of an ongoing investigation that must be allowed to reach a conclusion based on the facts. As I have said before, anyone guilty of such behavior must face the consequences of their actions regardless of political party. The Democratic Party stands by that principle, unlike Republicans who have consistently refused to hold their leaders accountable for their misconduct."
Erie County Republican Chairman Michael Kracker released the following statement about the claim:
"The sexual harassment allegations made against Assemblyman Pat Burke are deeply disturbing. The creepy and inappropriate behavior described in the complaint, as well as other complaints made by multiple former staffers, raise serious concerns about Pat Burke's character and fitness to serve in public office. The Erie County Republican Party looks forward to firing Pat Burke in 2024, if not sooner."