Dr. Tom Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was arrested for inappropriately touching a woman, according to the New York City Police Department. The alleged incident happened on Oct. 20, 2017, inside Frieden's Brooklyn residence, where a 55-year-old female acquaintance said he groped her rear, the NYPD said. Frieden was charged with one count each of forcible touching, sex abuse and harassment, according to police. “This 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,” a spokesperson for Frieden said in a statement to NBC New York. Frieden was released without bail at his arraignment Friday afternoon, but did surrender his passport as a precaution. Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Michael Yavinsky also issued an order of protection forbidding Frieden from contacting the victim. He is due back in court on Oct. 11. The CDC said it had no information about the allegation. Frieden was director of the CDC from 2009 until January 2017, stepping down when President Donald Trump took office. Prior to that, he served as the New York City health commissioner from 2002 to 2009, where he led efforts to reduce smoking and eliminate artificial trans fats from restaurant menus. As head of the CDC, Frieden championed advances that helped to end the Ebola epidemic. He was also at the helm during the height of the Zika outbreak, a virus that can cause serious birth defects if a pregnant women acquires it. Since his resignation, he had been serving as president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a $225 million, five-year initiative at Vital Strategies, a nonprofit global health organization. José L. Castro, the president and CEO of Vital Strategies, said in a statement that Frieden told him in April that 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. In all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct," Castro said, adding that earlier this month, Vital Strategies conducted interviews with every staff member of Frieden's team and determined there had been no incidents of workplace harassment.<doc-sep>Dr. Tom Frieden, a respected former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was arrested for several sex crimes, including an act called “forcible touching.” On Friday, Frieden, 57, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged with forcible touching, sex abuse, and sexual harassment for squeezing the backside of a 55-year-old female acquaintance, in October, at the home he reportedly shares with his Oberlin College girlfriend Barbara Chang (although it’s not clear if they are married). According to the New York Post, Frieden grabbed the victim, whom he has known for two decades, as they, along with others, were leaving his home. A representative of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office told Yahoo Lifestyle in an email that Frieden was arraigned and released without bail. The judge also issued an order of protection that prevents him from having contact with the victim. Frieden’s next court date is October 11. Frieden’s attorney Laura Brevetti did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. A statement written on behalf of Frieden and published by the Associated Press read, “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.” Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC, appeared at a Brooklyn arraignment to face several sex charges, including forcible touching. (Photo: Getty Images) New York State penal law classifies forcible touching as a class A misdemeanor that involves a person “intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose” forcibly touching “the sexual or other intimate parts of another person for the purpose of degrading or abusing such person, or for the purpose of gratifying the actor’s sexual desire.” Examples of forcible touching are squeezing, grabbing, or pinching, and, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the penalty for a conviction is up to one year in prison. As described in his official bio, Frieden as health commissioner from 2002–09 implemented smoking bans in bars and restaurants and spearheaded the posting of nutritional content on menus. He also played a public role in handling major disease outbreaks such as the 2014 Ebola crisis. Story continues Former President Barack Obama, who appointed Frieden to the CDC, once called him “an expert in preparedness and response to health emergencies,” according to the New York Post. Frieden currently oversees Resolve to Save Lives, a health initiative by the global public health organization Vital Strategies that receives funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CDC spokesperson Bert Kelly tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “CDC has no information on this matter. We refer you to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.” However, José Luis Castro, president and CEO of Vital Strategies, sent the following statement to Yahoo Lifestyle: “In April of this year, Dr. Tom Frieden, who heads our Resolve to Save Lives Initiative, informed me that 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. In all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct. “Vital Strategies is committed to a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. As such, even though she is not an employee, earlier this month we conducted a thorough investigation by an external expert, which included an in-depth interview with every staff member on the Resolve to Save Lives team to determine whether there are any concerns about inappropriate behavior. This assessment determined there have been no incidents of workplace harassment. “Vital Strategies greatly values the work Dr. Frieden does to advance public health and he has my full confidence.” Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.<doc-sep>Story highlights A law enforcement official told CNN that authorities filed three charges against Frieden He is accused of grabbing a woman without her consent at his home in October (CNN) — Dr. Thomas Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was arrested Friday and charged with forcible touching, according to the New York Police Department. A law enforcement official told CNN that authorities filed three charges against Frieden stemming from an alleged incident in his home in Brooklyn Heights in October. Frieden, 57, who left the CDC in January 2017, was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court to face one count of forcible touching, one count of sex abuse in the third degree and one count of harassment in the second degree, authorities said. He was released on his own recognizance. An order of protection was issued, and Frieden is to have no contact with the alleged victim, according to the district attorney’s office. The law enforcement official said that allegedly, there was a dinner party at Frieden’s home, and as things were wrapping up and people were leaving, Frieden reached over and grabbed the woman without her consent. Both have known each other for several years, the law enforcement official said. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office interviewed the alleged victim and found her to be credible, the law enforcement official said. A spokeswoman for Frieden told CNN, “This 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.” Frieden was appointed by President Barack Obama as the head of the CDC in 2009, known for coming in and implementing sweeping changes at one of the world’s premier health agencies with an annual budget of $10 billion. He came in at a time of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and would see the agency through the Ebola crisis in 2014. He had previously served as the New York City health commissioner, known for banning smoking in restaurants and public places and tackling trans fats in the city’s restaurants. When Obama tapped Frieden for the CDC, the president praised him as “an expert in preparedness and response to health emergencies” who as the New York City health commissioner had been “at the forefront of the fight against heart disease, cancer and obesity, infectious diseases such such as tuberculosis and AIDS, and in the establishment of electronic health records.” Frieden resigned from the agency on the day President Donald Trump was sworn into office. After his stint at the CDC, Frieden became the president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a $225 million initiative aimed to save “millions of lives from cardiovascular disease and make the world safer from epidemics,” according to its website. Jose Castro, president and CEO of Vital Strategies, the parent nonprofit of Resolve to Save Lives, said he was informed in April by Frieden “that 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 all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct. “Vital Strategies is committed to a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. As such, even though she is not an employee, earlier this month we conducted a thorough investigation by an external expert, which included an in-depth interview with every staff member on the Resolve to Save Lives team to determine whether there are any concerns about inappropriate behavior. This assessment determined there have been no incidents of workplace harassment. “Vital Strategies greatly values the work Dr. Frieden does to advance public health and he has my full confidence.” CDC spokesman Bert Kelly declined to comment, saying in an email, “CDC has no information on this matter. We refer you to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.”<doc-sep>Tom Frieden turned himself in Friday morning and is expected to appear in a Brooklyn courtroom later Friday. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo Former head of CDC Tom Frieden arrested, charged with sex abuse Tom Frieden, who led the CDC for eight years during the Obama administration and has global renown as a public health leader, was charged Friday morning with sex abuse and forcible touching, both misdemeanors, and harassment, a non-criminal violation. He appeared in a Brooklyn courtroom Friday afternoon for a quick proceeding and then was released with no bail. Judge Michael Yavinsky ordered Frieden to avoid any communication with his accuser and told the former CDC commissioner to surrender his passport. He’s due back in court on Oct. 11. The incident stemmed from an October dinner party Frieden, 57, held at his Brooklyn home. As the party was concluding, Frieden allegedly grabbed the buttocks of one of his guests, according to a CNN report, citing a law enforcement official. The New York Police Department said Frieden has known his accuser, a 55-year-old woman, for 30 years. Trailed by a pack of reporters as he left the courtroom, Frieden ignored questions and got into the back seat of a waiting car. Frieden rose to prominence as head of the New York City health department under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, tackling tobacco and fast food. Later, he spearheaded the Obama administration‘s response to Ebola. He now serves as president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, part of Vital Strategies, a global health nonprofit. He told colleagues at Resolve back in April that a longtime friend was accusing him of inappropriate physical contact, José Castro, the president and CEO of Vital Strategies, said in a statement. “In all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct,” Castro said. The woman accusing Frieden is not an employee. Still, Vital Strategies brought in an outside team to conduct an investigation and it found no incidents of workplace harassment, Castro said. A Frieden spokeswoman said “this 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." The city health department declined to comment.<doc-sep>
Tom Frieden, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been arrested in Brooklyn, New York amid allegations of forcible touching, sex abuse and harassment, August 24, 2018. Tom Frieden, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been arrested amid allegations of forcible touching, sex abuse and harassment. CNBC confirmed that Frieden was arrested on those charges after inappropriately touching a woman in October 2017. Local media reported that the Frieden groped the woman in his Brooklyn home and that the woman reported the incident in July. NYPD officers from Brooklyn's special victims division arrested Frieden on Friday morning. He is expected in court later in the day. Frieden was director of the CDC between 2009 and 2017, leading the agency as it worked to end the Ebola epidemic and an outbreak of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. He was also previously New York City Health Commissioner from 2002 and 2009. Frieden now serves as president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a global health non-profit, which is an initiative of Vital Strategies. Jose Castro, president and CEO of Vital Strategies, said in a statement that in April Frieden mentioned allegations against him of inappropriate behavior. Castro said Vital Strategies tapped an external expert to conduct an investigation and interview Resolve to Save Live staffers. That probe concluded that there had been no misconduct in the workplace, Castro said. Here is Castro's full statement: "In April of this year, Dr. Tom Frieden, who heads our Resolve to Save Lives Initiative, informed me that 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. In all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct. Vital Strategies is committed to a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. As such, even though she is not an employee, earlier this month we conducted a thorough investigation by an external expert, which included an in-depth interview with every staff member on the Resolve to Save Lives team to determine whether there are any concerns about inappropriate behavior. This assessment determined there have been no incidents of workplace harassment. Vital Strategies greatly values the work Dr. Frieden does to advance public health and he has my full confidence." — CNBC's Meg Tirrell and Jim Forkin contributed to this report.