Brian Burnam, owner of Cotter Barber in Brooklyn, is accused of sexually assaulting his former employee, Joshua "Jude" Ahamed. Ahamed alleges that Burnam groped him multiple times, monitored him via security cameras, and used a gay slur during NYC's Pride weekend. After filing a lawsuit in 2019, Ahamed's legal team faced years of delays as Burnam provided inconsistent explanations about the whereabouts of crucial video evidence. Burnam claimed he thought a preservation notice was a prank, but later admitted to apologizing for making Ahamed uncomfortable. In a recent ruling, Brooklyn federal Judge Cheryl Pollak found that Burnam intentionally destroyed the evidence, calling his prank claim "facially implausible." The judge ruled that a jury should be informed that the lost evidence was likely unfavorable to Burnam. Despite this, Burnam's counsel remains confident that a jury will eventually rule in their favor. Ahamed seeks closure as the trial date remains undetermined.
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