Ex-CDC director denies groping allegation

NEW YORK — A former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was accused of grabbing a woman’s behind and was arrested on Friday on a sex abuse charge but said the woman’s allegation “does not reflect” who he is or the values he has.

Dr. Thomas Frieden was awaiting a court appearance on Friday in connection with what happened on Oct. 20, 2017, at his Brooklyn home, police said. The woman reported it in July, and he was taken into custody after an investigation.

The accuser, a 55-year-old woman who knew Frieden, told police he grabbed her buttocks. Frieden, who also is a former New York City health commissioner, is charged with forcible touching, sex abuse and harassment.

Frieden leads a health initiative called Resolve to Save Lives, which is housed by nonprofit global health organization Vital Strategies.

“The allegation does not reflect Dr. Frieden’s public or private behavior or his values over a lifetime of service to improve health around the world,” said a statement issued by a spokesman on his behalf.

The president of Vital Strategies, Jose L. Castro, came out in support of Frieden. He said Frieden informed him in April “a non-work-related friend of his and his family of more than 30 years accused him of inappropriate physical contact.”

“I have known and worked closely with Dr. Frieden for nearly 30 years and have seen first-hand that he has the highest ethical standards both personally and professionally,” Castro said in a statement. “In all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct.”

Nonetheless, earlier this month Vital Strategies hired an investigator to interview Resolve to Save Lives employees even though the woman didn’t work there. Castro said the investigation found no inappropriate workplace behavior.