Are people of color unfairly targeted by local media and law enforcement? Back in 2016, former Judge Leticia Astacio created a media circus after her DWI arrest. Astacio was painted as a villain and stripped of her position. However, former White Supreme Court Justice Matthew Rosenbaum quietly step down after being accused of rape.
In December of 2019, 13Wham reported Rosenbaum had been relieved of his duties. According to The Office of Court Administration, allegations regarding his conduct were in question. At that time, we had no details on what those allegations were. Now, a lawsuit from a former employee describes in detail what she experienced working with the accused sexual predator.
The former secretary of former Supreme Court Justice Matthew Rosenbaum delivered shocking allegations in a civil lawsuit filed on July 16. According to the explosive complaint, Rosenbaum vaginally raped Rebecca Klymn in November of 2006. The complainant, who worked for Rosenbaum from March 2005 until December 2019, performed fellatio on the former judge monthly in his judicial chambers. Klymn stated Rosenbaum advised her that performing fellatio was part of the job, and she would comply with his demands for oral sex if she wanted to keep her job. Rosenbaum denied the allegations in a video released to the media (Click link below). Rosenbaum stated, "That is the untrue allegation that the relationship was anything but consensual. It was always totally consensual. And any attempt to frame it as other than that is both untrue and unfair." The accused rapist was allowed to step down and has had little media coverage or criminal charges filed.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement, “In the spring of 2021, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was notified of possible criminal conduct on the part of former New York State Supreme Court Justice Matthew Rosenbaum. The Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation and we are currently working with the Monroe County District Attorney to complete this in depth process. The investigation is ongoing which limits our ability to comment any further. We appreciate your patience.”
In an interview published on 13Wham, Robert Tembeckjian, Administrator of the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, attempted to dispel any notion that the cases had anything to do with race. Tembeckjian stated, "this case unfolded is different than the way the Commission handled its months-long investigation into former Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio. Because Astacio fought to keep her position on the bench, the allegations against her were released to the public along with the decision by the Commission to recommend her removal as a judge in April 2018."
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