Former NYC health commissioner Thomas Frieden accused of groping woman

Thomas Frieden, the former New York City health commissioner who became head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was arrested Friday on charges he groped a woman in his Brooklyn Heights apartment several months ago, officials said.

Police said Frieden, 57, surrendered Friday morning to cops of the 77th Precinct on charges of sexual abuse, forcible touching and harassment stemming from an incident last October in which he allegedly touched a 55-year-old woman’s buttocks.

A one-page criminal complaint said Frieden placed his hands on the woman’s buttocks and squeezed them the evening of Oct. 20, 2017. A police source said that Frieden and the woman were friends for over 30 years and were part of a group socializing with their spouses at his apartment on Montague Street.

The alleged incident occurred while the party was apparently breaking up, police said. Frieden is reportedly married with children but it was unclear if his wife was present when the alleged groping occurred.

Frieden is charged in the complaint with forcible touching, sexual abuse in the third degree and harassment in the second degree. The forcible touching and sex abuse charges are misdemeanors while harassment is a violation.

Frieden was arraigned on the complaint and released on his own recognizance by Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Michael Yavinsky, who required Frieden to surrender his passport, said Helen Peterson, a spokeswoman for Brooklyn district attorney. Yavinsky also issued an order of protection, Peterson said.

Frieden’s next court date is Oct. 11. His defense attorney, Laura Brevetti, declined to comment Friday.

A spokeswoman for Frieden said, “These allegations do not reflect Dr. Frieden’s public or private behavior over his years of public service to improve public health around the world.”

Neither police nor the court papers identified the victim. The police source described her as a supporter of the #MeToo movement, which arose after widely publicized sexual harassment and abuse allegations rocked the entertainment industry last October.

Frieden, who is widely respected in the medical community and was on the vanguard of a number of health initiatives, is the latest public figure to be accused of sexual misconduct at a time when numerous celebrities and others have felt the sting of such allegations.

According to his online biography, Frieden received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1986. He was appointed city health commissioner in 2002 by newly elected Mayor Michael Bloomberg. During his tenure as the city’s top health official, Frieden was involved in sculpting some of Bloomberg’s major health initiatives against the consumption of trans fats and smoking, and started the distribution of millions of free condoms as part of an offensive against AIDS and HIV. Frieden also pushed for the collection of comprehensive epidemiological data.

Frieden left the city health post in 2009 when he was appointed head of the CDC by President Barack Obama. As head of the federal agency, Frieden in 2014 spearheaded the nation’s response to the Ebola outbreak, which originated in West Africa. He left the CDC with the election of President Donald Trump and has since been affiliated with the health initiative Resolve to Save Lives.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.