NEW YORK–Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas today announced the appointment of Antonio Seda as the Managing Inspector General for Bias Matters of the court system’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which operates within the Office of Court Administration (OCA). Mr. Seda will fill a vacancy left by Kay-Ann Porter Campbell, who was recently named the OCA’s Inspector General.
As Managing Inspector General for Bias Matters and reporting to Ms. Porter Campbell, Mr. Seda will oversee OIG’s Office of the Managing Inspector General for Bias Matters, which investigates allegations of bias based upon race, sex, age, marital status, disability, national origin, religion, military status, gender expression, or gender dysphoria that affect the workplace, including acts relating to services provided to the public by court system personnel. In this capacity, he will conduct and oversee investigations of formal claims of work-related bias involving any Unified Court System judge or nonjudicial employee; act as a liaison with federal, state, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies; advise court managers on anti-bias policies and best practices; develop and deliver anti-bias training for judges and nonjudicial personnel; and represent the office statewide at meetings, seminars, and public outreach events.
“Mr. Seda is an accomplished attorney with extensive investigative experience, strong leadership skills and a deep commitment to rooting out systemic bias and fostering diversity and inclusiveness within the workplace and beyond. He is an innovator, and a trusted guide and mentor, who is well regarded by colleagues and others for his collaborative approach, hard work, and integrity. On behalf of the court’s leadership team and our entire court family, I am delighted to welcome him to the court system and look forward to our working together to promote a safe, diverse, and inclusive environment in courthouses and court facilities throughout the state,” said Chief Administrative Judge Zayas.
“The work of the Office of the Managing Inspector General for Bias Matters is essential to the New York state courts’ systemwide efforts to ensure access to justice for all, regardless of background or circumstances. Along with Mr. Seda’s outstanding character and sincere commitment to public service and anti-bias work, he brings to this key position in-depth expertise, including thorough knowledge of New York court system practices and operations, acquired over his many years both as a litigator and prosecutor. He will, undoubtedly, prove an asset to the OIG, the OCA, and the entire court system,” said First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George.
“I look forward to the privilege of working closely and collaboratively with Inspector General Porter Campbell, the OIG team, the OCA leadership, and all stakeholders to continue to advance anti-bias efforts and initiatives, root out and eliminate bias within the court system, and foster public trust and confidence in the courts. As a former practicing litigator, I have decades of experience in New York’s courts and believe we have reached a turning point with a new leadership team that will make the court system more equitable, diverse, and inclusive,” said Mr. Seda.
Mr. Seda has extensive experience in EEO, investigations, and DEI training, gained over the course of more than a decade of service to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority–New York City Transit’s Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority, where he held a variety of posts, including Assistant Vice President, EEO Investigations; Deputy Chief EO Offices, Department of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity; and Assistant General Counsel, Law Department, Labor and Employment Division. His anti-bias work includes overseeing the investigations, findings, and determinations of approximately 750 formal bias complaints, managing the delivery of EEO and Respectful and Inclusive Workplace training modules, providing guidance on anti-bias policies and best practices, streamlining investigative processes, creating a pilot mediation program, and leading collaborative diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Mr. Seda, who was born and raised in government-subsidized housing in the South Bronx, is a graduate of Columbia College and New York University School of Law. He was admitted to practice law in New York State in 1989 and has been active in various bar associations over many years. Mr. Seda was recently elected Vice President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, where he has served on its Board of Directors for the past three years. His extensive legal experience includes working as an assistant district attorney in New York County; representing defendants in criminal matters for nearly ten years, including regularly representing indigent defendants before the Midtown Community Court; and litigating hundreds of torts cases during his employment at New York City Transit, trying dozens of criminal and civil cases to verdict.
For nearly 30 years, Mr. Seda served on the Board of Directors of Avenues for Justice, formerly the Andrew Glover Youth Program, an organization focused on providing youth with second chances and alternatives to incarceration. He is a recipient of a Community Achievement Award from the Cervantes Society, a fraternal organization within the Unified Court System; and an Excellence in Mentoring Award from the Brooklyn Law School Latin American Law Students Association.
His appointment will take effect December 7, 2023.