A Statement by DA Rachael Rollins about Allegations Involving a Former SCDAO Employee

I am aware of and troubled by the allegations that a former Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO) employee engaged in behavior that was either inappropriate, an abuse of his authority, unethical or illegal. In any situation, sharing intimate details of deception, coercion, manipulation and sexual assault can be difficult and takes courage. I am grateful to the women who have come forward.

The accused, Adam Foss, was hired by my predecessor and worked as a prosecutor at SCDAO from 2008 to 2016. Some of the allegations made post-date his employment; others appear to have happened during the time he was an employee.

I became the District Attorney on January 2, 2019. Although Adam and I have never been employed together, several years ago we both volunteered in leadership roles at a state-wide civic association. As a result of that meaningful work, I have since considered him a friend.

Earlier this week, I became aware of a blog post entitled “The Wolf and the Whisper Network.” The next day, I addressed the post in my weekly supervisor’s meeting and instructed my General Counsel to recirculate our office’s anti-harassment policy. Because of the commitment I made to the people of Suffolk County, and to our staff past and present, to fairly and faithfully discharge my duties as their elected District Attorney, I want to ensure the integrity of the process and avoid an appearance of conflict. Accordingly, I have secured an outside law firm, Goodwin Procter, LLP in Boston, to lead an independent investigation.

In addition to conducting an investigation into any potential crimes with the assistance of the Boston Police, attorneys Roberto Braceras and Jennifer Chunias will also be investigating allegations that could have civil or administrative ramifications. Although I personally will not be conducting the investigation, I am deeply invested in its truthful outcome.

This will not be a quick or easy process and it is important to give anyone that may have their own story to share the time and space to do so in a safe and comfortable way. Every allegation will be investigated fairly and thoroughly. At the end of the investigation, I want people to have felt heard and valued.

As always, there are organizations and people who can help. Whether internally or through our partner agencies, there are a wide variety of supports and services available to anyone experiencing or struggling with the impacts of sexual harassment or sexual assault. Charlene Luma, the Chief of Victim Witness Assistance, is available to make those connections and can be reached at Charlene.Luma@state.ma.us or 617-619-4173. Similarly, any current or past staff, intern, contract employee, consultant, party, witness or external partner will have full access to our support systems, services and external legal team.

I pledge to acknowledge and remedy any potential past failings or inactions by the office I now lead. We must provide a safe, inclusive and healthy work environment for our staff and for every person who comes into contact with SCDAO.

For those who wish to speak to the individuals leading this investigation, you may contact Lieutenant Detective Beth Leary of the Boston Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit at (617) 343-4400. Attorney Roberto Braceras is available at rbraceras@goodwinlaw.com and his colleague and Partner, Attorney Jennifer Chunias is available at jchunias@goodwinlaw.com.

Sexual assault can happen to anyone. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, survivors of sexual violence can also call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options.

Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search.

In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault.

Individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.