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 ALBANY---The New York Assembly has agreed to spend $500,000 of tax dollars to settle a lawsuit filed by a former Assembly employee who had brought sex charges against J. Michael Boxley, former chief counsel to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan).
Boxley will pay a small portion of the settlement.
Boxley, 44, had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of sexual misconduct in 2003, avoiding jail time in a date rape case. He paid a $1,000 fine, was placed on probation for six years and was also required to register as a sex offender. Four felony rape charges against Boxley were dismissed in the deal in which he admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with the woman without her consent.
At the time the complaint was lodged, the woman was 22. She claimed she was raped by Boxley four times during the early morning of June 10, 2003 at her apartment after they had visited several bars. Boxley denied raping her.
In her lawsuit against the Assembly, the woman, now 24, claimed that the Assembly encouraged, condoned or approved of the sexual harassment by Boxley because they took no action to stop it.
Boxley left his $130,395 a year job in June 2003.
Another Assembly aide had accused Boxley of sexual assault in 2001 but no criminal complaint was filed in that case.
As part of the settlement, the Assembly will modify its sexual harassment policies and require that all written complaints of harassment be kept on file for seven years. The person accused of harassment can't be involved in the grievance procedure.
Boxley's lawyer E. Stewart Jones, said the settlement was a "gross overpayment". 1-29-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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