Law360 (August 26, 2026, 11:01 PM EDT) -- A New York state judge said Tuesday that former NYC Mayor Eric Adams and his successor, Zohran Mamdani, violated city law by missing deadlines for publishing a citywide racial equity plan, which was not released until more than two years after an initial January 2024 deadline.

New York County Supreme Court Justice Phaedra F. Perry-Bond concluded the two mayors' failure to comply with the city charter's mandatory timeline for the release of the preliminary plan amounted to an unlawful act, finding that the New York City Commission on Racial Equity was entitled to seek relief from the court to address the delays.

Justice Perry-Bond also rejected the city's argument that the commission's legal challenge, filed in August 2025, is moot because the plan was released in April 2026.

"Mootness aside, the undisputed facts show that CORE's mission was frustrated, and the charter mandated racial equity planning process thwarted, by former Mayor Eric Adams and to a lesser extent Mayor Zohran Mamdani's failure to meet charter mandated deadlines," the judge said in a written decision.

The court additionally found that New York City's Corporation Counsel violated the city charter by declining to approve CORE's hiring of outside attorneys and payment of legal fees to bring the suit. The judge ordered the city to cooperate in reimbursing the commission for its attorney fees. If the parties cannot reach an agreement on the amount within 60 days, CORE may file a motion for legal fees with the court.

The dispute stems from city voters' November 2022 approval of a ballot initiative that established the commission to propose community equity priorities for biennial racial equity plans to be published by the mayor's office, the judge noted in her order.

Under the first round of charter deadlines, CORE was required to hand off its recommendations to the mayor's office by October 2023; the mayor, in turn, had until Jan. 16, 2024, to issue the preliminary plan, according to the order. Adams, however, did not make his required appointments to the commission until October 2024.

After CORE submitted its priorities to the mayor's office in November 2024, Adams repeatedly pushed the anticipated release date for the preliminary plan and eventually finished his term without ever publishing it, Justice Perry-Bond said. In May 2025, Corporation Counsel denied CORE's request for permission to sue Adams to force the release of the plan.

CORE launched the lawsuit against Adams and Corporation Counsel in August 2025, seeking court orders compelling the plan's release, forcing the city to pay its attorney fees and declaring the delays illegal.

Mamdani, who was inaugurated in January, publicly promised to release the plan within his first 100 days in office, according to the order. He released the preliminary plan on April 6, the day before the city argued its motion to dismiss CORE's lawsuit.

Spurning the city's mootness argument, Justice Perry-Bond said the case raises new and important legal questions about "the interpretation of recent amendments to the city charter and whether a newly created governmental body has the right to sue to ensure its mission is accomplished."

"Moreover, whether CORE has a legal remedy to ensure equity plans are being published in a timely manner so that they may be considered during the creation of the city budget is important, especially considering the electorate overwhelmingly voted in favor of this process via ballot initiative, but the voters' will has been thwarted by mayoral inaction," the judge added.

While the city argued that the commission lacked the capacity to bring the lawsuit, the court disagreed, finding CORE's authorized functions under the city charter supported its ability to bring the suit.

The city further contended that the commission had not pointed to a concrete injury to back its standing in the case. Justice Perry-Bond, however, said that the injury "arises from mayoral disregard for charter mandated deadlines," which has stunted CORE's ability to carry out its duties for years.

"The injury has already occurred and caused CORE to divert resources away from its mission to simply ask the mayor's office to complete his charter mandated responsibilities," the judge said.

Lucian Chalfen, communications director for the New York City Law Department, told Law360 Wednesday the city is reviewing its options regarding an appeal.

Andrew G. Celli Jr. of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, representing CORE, called the ruling "a Declaration of Independence for the New York City Commission on Racial Equity" in a Wednesday email to Law360.

"It affirms the vital role of the commission and gives real legal teeth to the work New Yorkers created it to do," Celli said. "The court made clear that this work is not optional. It is required by law. The ruling ensures that the city must respect CORE's role and follow the racial equity planning process enshrined in the city charter."

The commission is represented by Andrew G. Celli Jr. and Hafsa Syed Mansoor of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP.

Counsel information for the city was not immediately available Wednesday.

The case is The New York City Commission on Racial Equity v. Eric Adams et al., index number 161269/2025, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York.

--Editing by Jay Jackson Jr.

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