Update: 8/23/23 — Documents filed in Erie County Supreme Court are calling for the alleged sexual assault complaint against Buffalo Common Council President Darius Pridgen to be dismissed. 

According to the documents, on multiple occasions, including a three-way call between the woman, her pastor and Pridgen, she said the abuse never happened, she didn't make the allegations, she had never spoken to a lawyer and she had never even met Pridgen.

Pridgen is asking for reimbursement of attorney fees and other expenses from the plaintiff and her counsel.

Spectrum News 1 has reached out to Pridgen and the lawyer who originally filed the complaint.

Original story

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo woman is accusing Buffalo Common Council President Darius Pridgen of repeated sexual abuse.

The allegations are detailed in a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in State Supreme Court in Erie County. The plaintiff is also suing True Bethel Church, where she said Pridgen committed the acts while in his role as bishop of the church.

According to the complaint, Pridgen engaged or forced the parishioner to engage in sexual acts without her consent approximately seven times following church services. This allegedly happened around 2020 when the woman, who was approximately 45 years old, was attempting to do volunteer work.

Pridgen has been on the Common Council since 2012 and served as president for nearly a decade. He did not run for re-election this year and will step down at the end of his term.

His chief of staff said he was just learning of the lawsuit Wednesday morning and did not provide further comment at the time. The name of the plaintiff is in the complaint, but as a practice, Spectrum News 1 does not identify potential victims of sexual abuse.

"As alleged in the complaint, my client was subjected to prolific abuse that has altered her life forever, This lawsuit is the first step toward healing and justice and we are thankful for the Adult Survivors Act," her attorney Antigone Curis said in a statement.

Pridgen says he found out about the lawsuit from the media and has not yet been served. He says he does not know the plaintiff, she is not a registered member or volunteer of the church and around the approximate time of these allegations the church was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is unfortunate,” Pridgen said. “I am very confused about it but I won't be silent about it. I haven't been silent in 12 years of office in 29 years of pastoring and we look forward to a day to be able to defend ourselves, the church, myself in court and we hope that happens very quickly."

Last year, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act which created an ongoing one-year lookback window for survivors of sexual assault that occurred when they were 18 or older to sue regardless of the statute of limitations. The lawsuit is not a criminal charge and Buffalo Police had no comment on the complaint.