UPDATE: Saturday, February 21 at 8 p.m.: Allyson Friedman, a professor at Hunter College, sent a statement in an email to West Side Rag at 6 p.m. on Saturday acknowledging she was the one who made the remarks at the Upper West Side schools meeting on February 10 that have been condemned by various schools officials, including members of the New York City Department of Education.
Friedman said she was “deeply sorry to the students, families, educators, and community members who were hurt.”
Here is her statement in full.
“During the February 10 CEC3 meeting, there was a discussion about systemic racism and educational equity, with references to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the work of Carter G. Woodson, as well as school closures. Separately during the meeting, as a parent, I was trying to explain the concept of systemic racism by referencing a historical example. Due to an inadvertent unmute, part of that conversation was captured.
My remarks were not directed at the student speaker and they do not reflect my beliefs or values. Regardless of context, my words were wrong and caused real harm. I take full responsibility for their impact, and I am deeply sorry to the students, families, educators, and community members who were hurt. I immediately sent written apologies to Dr. Higgins, the Community Action School, and the Community Education Council. I support the Community Action School and its mission, and I regret adding any pain or distraction at a moment when the community’s concerns about the DOE’s school-closure process deserved full attention. I am committed to accountability and repairing harm.”
On Sunday morning, Hunter College sent its own statement to the Rag saying it was aware of the “abhorrent remarks” and incident, and that it was “reviewing the situation under the university’s applicable conduct and nondiscrimination policies.”
“In service to Hunter College, we expect our community members’ actions and words to comport with our institutional identity, values, and policies,” the statement added.
By Gus Saltonstall
Officials of the Upper West Side School District 3 posted a video this week of a meeting earlier this month in which a racist remark was made by an adult as a child was speaking. The February 10th meeting related to schools on the Upper West Side, and the remark prompted a response from the New York City Department of Education.
The comment came during a hybrid meeting concerning the possible relocation or closure of three Upper West Side schools — The Center School, The Riverside School for Makers and Artists, and the Community Action School. Participants, some in person at the Joan of Arc school building at 154 West 93rd Street, and many others on Zoom, were parents, students, and teachers of all three schools. The session was hosted by the Community Education Council for the UWS’s School District 3, along with members of the Department of Education, including neighborhood Superintendent Reginald Higgins; the CEC posted the video on its site on Wednesday.
As an eighth-grade student from the Community Action School was speaking about not wanting to lose her school, the following remarks were made by a person seemingly unaware that the meeting’s participants could hear them:
“They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school,” the voice said. “If you train a Black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back. You don’t have to tell them anymore.” There were a handful of words WSR was not able to make out between the first and second sentence quoted above.
Since the video keeps crashing on the CEC3 website.
Here is the moment when an adult interrupts a student as she speaks about not wanting to lose her school. https://t.co/1qni5hCPKF pic.twitter.com/0z1kc3lTAp
— Gus Saltonstall (@GusSaltonstall) February 20, 2026
In the video of the Zoom call, the faces of several participants register shock. An organizer of the meeting can be heard telling the speaker: “What you’re saying is absolutely hearable here, you’ve got to stop.”
Immediately after that, the video goes silent for 14 seconds.
“I’m sorry sweetie, go ahead baby, I’m sorry,” a woman then said to the child, who finished her remarks with, “We might not be able to have these safe spaces anymore and we should be able to keep our school open.”
The comment begins at the 1:01:32 mark of the meeting, which you can watch and listen to in its entirety below, or here. [The video of the meeting is periodically crashing because of the number of plays on it, but you can try again at a later time if it doesn’t immediately work, or download the video, which will then successfully play.]
In an emailed statement to WSR about the incident, a Department of Education spokesperson wrote: “NYC Public Schools does not tolerate discrimination. We take these matters very seriously and the superintendent as well as our Office of Family and Community Empowerment are providing support to the district in response to this incident.”
The DOE also sent out an email the day after the meeting to all parents of the Upper West Side’s school district, calling the remarks “inappropriate, harmful, and racially offensive,” while laying out multiple steps it was taking to respond to the incident.
The Community Education Council for School District 3 strongly condemned the remarks as well.
On Friday, New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, who previously served as the UWS school district superintendent, said in a statement to the Rag, “The comments made were abhorrent and have no place in our school communities. Citywide and Community Education Councils are independent bodies, and their meetings are expected to be respectful spaces for students, families, and staff. What happened at the meeting was a complete violation of those expectations, and we are providing support to the district to repair the harm done.”
Additionally, the Center School PTA Executive Board sent a letter to the Community Action School on February 11th, saying:
“Our Executive Board met this morning in response to the racist and deeply hurtful comment made by a member of our community during last night’s CEC meeting. We are outraged and saddened by these words, which were unacceptable and contrary to the core values of respect, inclusion, and equity that define Center School.” The letter, shared with the Rag by a member of the Center School community, added: “We especially apologize to the courageous CAS students who spoke at the meeting. They deserve our unwavering support and admiration, not to have their voices diminished or disrespected.”
The Rag was not able to definitively confirm the identity of the person who made the remarks.
Read More:
- UWS Middle School Fights Against its Possible Elimination: ‘We Are Not Just Going to Roll Over’
- UWS Middle School Meets With DOE Reps to Discuss Possible Move: ‘We Want to be Heard’
- An UWS Middle School is Pushing Back Against Possible Relocation: ‘This School is Our Home
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
Well that just ruined my day. Who made the racist comment? There needs to be accountability here.
The person’s identity has been reported on the other UWS news site that shall not be named…
Are we looking to hunt down the monster? I think it’s the doctor who created him, that we need to chase down. And that’s history. Time to let go a little. Imho. This person didn’t mean what they are accused of saying.
How do we know: “This person didn’t mean what they are accused of saying.”
What on earth do you mean? Of course she meant it, she’s an adult and said it out loud. And it’s not an accusation, it was clearly recorded. Blaming “history” for the words she decided to say? In 2026? I’d encourage you to think about why you felt the need to jump to her defense. She doesn’t warrant one.
According to you.
If she is a teacher – her history of grading percentages should be checked as well. She was way too comfortable sharing her biased input.
Nobody cares , black privilege ended a year ago.
Accused of saying? There is a recording of the meeting. And she apologized for the Zoom mistake. You see, her mistake wasn’t saying racist things it was not muting herself while she said them.
The meaning of the message. Not the desired interpretation and group think.
“They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school,” Please interpret that for us in a way that isn’t an adult calling an 8th grader dumb.
Would you mind elaborating on this? What was the actual meaning of the message vs the desired interpretation? Sorry for the pun, but it seems pretty black & white to me…
It’s posted on other sites. The woman was chastised in the chat for her remarks and apologized calling it a “zoom mishap”. Not sure why this site isn’t reporting it. You can find the information on Reddit and ilovetheupperwestside.com. This person should not be allowed to volunteer at public schools knowing how she feels about children of color. I wonder how she feels about special ed students or other students who are disadvantaged in other ways. I feel so awful for the brave student who was speaking up for her school at a *community* meeting only to have such a nasty ad hominem attack thrown at her by an adult.
The woman shouldn’t be allowed to volunteer? Wow. How about she should volunteer and get educated? She’s not a dog she’s a person capable of learning. These are the kind of comments that are so depressing. This is a learning opportunity!
https://c.org/4f248bNmBR
Thanks for reporting on this. As a D3 parent of a child in a public school, those comments are disgusting and must’ve been so hurtful for the child who was speaking at the time. I’m glad that the school district took steps to address it but I guess we just have to sadly accept that there are still many racist people, even in the UWS.
what does
‘use the back” mean??
[Edited to say this comment is meant as a reply to the person saying it was a reference to the back of the bus.] Yes I think it was actually quoting a black scholar about unequal education systems but was offensive to the actual students and ignorant about CAS which is a great school that does excellent work – and hopefully the DoE supports CAS in continuing to exist and do its work (as the student speaker was saying) instead of shutting it down
Petition to keep CAS open: https://c.org/XXw2Vn8RFg
back door
Maybe it’s a reference to the back of the bus (a la Rosa Parks)? That’d be my best guess!
It was in reference to this quote mentioned earlier by the superintendent, “If you can control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.”
-Carter Godwin Woodson
Using Woodson’s words to call a child “too dumb” completely misses his point about protecting people’s dignity and voice….on top of being wrong and disgusting. These were middle school students that should be protected by adults.
If this was the quote then how do we know she wasn’t saying that the students are being taught to think less of themselves or that she sees this theory playing out? I don’t know about the dumb comments, that one sounds bad but given that she is referencing a quote why is everyone acting like they are verbal detectives who know exactly what she meant?! The snippet is so brief and cut off. Do people not think critically anymore?
Woodson’s quote is what urbanists want for people they perceive as beneath them.
This to me shows how Manhattan is no different than Staten Island when it comes to prejudices. Staten Island is more blue collar and in your face with racism, Manhattan is a lot more subtle and refined and they put on this facade of inclusivity until they can’t or get caught on a hot mic like this person. I think Manhattanites can be no different than those on Long Island who hate NYC too. Having worked in this area a long time, I have seen a side of Upper West Siders that people don’t like to talk about a whole lot.
Location is irrelevant with regard to inappropriate and hurtful comments. Citing Staten Island in itself is an example. So Manhattan is exempt , no so, based on this person’s comments overheard by others. Whatever happened to simple human kindness, respect, and overall compassion towards others?
Location has nothing to do with racism. It comes from within the person themselves – their heart is stale – does not matter their location. They take it with them wherever they go.
While racism may be endemic, I think you are engaging at least a tad in false equivalency and whataboutism here. I think it is not JUST that Staten Islanders are more “overt” in their racism as a whole, but that “environment” (what one lives with on a daily basis) also has an effect. So if you live on a daily basis in a community like S.I. that is (I’m using hypotheticals here),, say 65% White, then the endemic racism is going to be expressed more “actively” and “overtly” while if you live in Manhattan, which has a much higher proportion of people of color, any “hidden” racisms are going to be less often expressed, if they are expressed at all.
Consider that, while S.I. has elected people of color to the City Council and Assembly, they have never, in all of history elected a person of color to a federal seat. Even if we “pared down” the population of Manhattan to that of S.I., it would still have elected people of color to seats at ALL government levels.
I think that says a lot.
Generalizing about Manhattanites this way (or about Staten Islanders, for that matter) smacks of the same inanity in generalizing about Blacks that caused this uproar.
Now when Manhattanites get called out, they get defensive!
Ha another stereotype. Missed that comments point entirely. It was: stop generalizing for those of you who are ACTUALLY just being defensive.
So calling out Manhattanites for subtle prejudices and having the same parochial and exclusionary mindset some Staten and Long Islanders can have smacks of the same inanity?
Doubtless true that there are Manhattanites who harbor subtle prejudices, even blatant prejudices. But it’s saying that about all Manhattanites — there are 1.629 million of them — that’s inane.
I definitely will say that it is much more than just a few, some of these are in progressive political circles also.
District 3 is well known for it’s racist issues, this is why so many African American parents rather home school, if they can. District 3 probably has the highest home school numbers in the city, amongst African Americans, I have 3 African American families in my building that home school and each will tell you, they would rather home school than deal with the racism, this is not surprising.
You are so on it Patricia, I am African American, and I took my child out of the public school system in district 3, I just could not take it anymore. I home school now, which is not easy, but I have less stress. my friend across the street took her son out in December, and is now using the same online homeschool program that I use. i think it would be a great study, to see how many African American families living in district 3 have opted out of public school, and are now home schooling, maybe we can get together, and form a support group.
Hi Rasha, please contact me if you’re able to. I am a D3 parent and find this very concerning. Wilneida@gmail.com
I have had moments in this community where if I had to choose in a general election between Gale Brewer, Linda Rosenthal or Brad Hoylman-Sigal as the Democratic nominee or Vickie Paladino as the Republican nominee for an election, I would much rather choose Vickie Paladino despite her social media controversies because at least her constituent services are great, she is very personable in person (her son is in charge of her social media), and is much more authentic than any Manhattan Democrat in elected office. I genuinely believe that most Manhattan Democrats, even in progressive Democratic clubs like the Four Freedoms Democratic Club see certain people as beneath them and are subtle about it, whereas I know where I stand with Vickie Paladino as right wing as she may be on Twitter.
You make no sense.
Thank you. I watch many of Vickie’s morning Facebook updates and value how she consistently informs her constituents — outlining what’s happening in the district, how she plans to address it, and providing follow-through. That level of accessibility and accountability shouldn’t be rare; it should be expected.
Shaun Abreu, Gale Brewer, Linda Rosenthal of Brad Hoylman-Sigal — why not step up and do the same? Or have UWS Democrats grown so comfortable in their presumed electoral safety that regular, transparent communication with constituents is no longer seen as necessary?
What does your endorsement have to do with the subject, an ugly racist shout-out at child in a public forum?
It’s not relevant because it’s not just vilifying the speaker? I appreciate the comment as it has to do with how politicians affect the racist landscape which is part of what the actual zoom meeting was about!
Malcolm X warned people to not trust the white liberal.
Who cares? Not a big deal!
You’re being deliberately obtuse or provocative. No more attention for you!
Trolls gonna troll.
thumb down
Bo, 3 replies in one thread? Ease up on the caffeine bro!
A decent amount of Upper West Siders who identify as politically progressive would genuinely believe that, but will never say it out loud. Even the Upper West Siders who support homeless shelters would not want a homeless shelter resident in their building.
I don’t believe this is true. And, btw, you meant to say “A decent number of Upper West Siders…” People are customarily counted in numbers, not volumes…
I do believe this is true.
This is so awful. There needs to be accountability for this racism. These kids deserve respect and admiration. They’re spending their free time speaking up for their school! They’re the future of our city and their energy and optimism is a beacon of light. These racist parents have no place in these meetings, and I hope their children will be able to grow past their parents and rise above their parents’ hate and ignorance.
Agree, and these students who spoke so passionately in defense of their school also deserve to be listened to genuinely – not to be told that the DOE “is listening” when they’ve already made up their minds. Blatantly racist comments are obviously worse, but administrative disregard of their voices and needs is also harmful. CAS inspires their students to speak up and be leaders – as was shown at the meeting – and it’s a shame that the DOE does not value the school or the input of its families enough to support keeping it open. (They’ve even said in their petition that they are willing to relocate but the DOE is determined to plow ahead with their predetermined outcome)
CAS is one of the most consistent public schools in the area, the teachers are dedicated, personable & always prioritize safety. For a lot of kids from low income families on the upper west side that counts for a lot. Thank you for sharing what locals know to be true: this school needs to stay open!!
Yes yes yes
This is why we need more Charter schools
No. It’s why we don’t.
The comment was unnecessary – but not nearly as bad as the headline would have you believe. Welcome to the real world, where there is no such thing as a “safe space”….
Great Point!
I could agree with you about sage spaces for adults. But an 8th grader speaking at a public meeting abiut their school should be able to expect no racist comments from adults.
If this really was the Center School parent called out by the moderator on the recording (and I have no reason to doubt that it was) she has single handedly lost most of the good will the neighborhood was feeling for Center School being forced to move.
Are you aware of what Jewish students have had to endure at school BY ADULTS? I agree with you but your comment is too Pollyanna. Adults regularly allow bullying of many types of people-Jews, Asians, autistic kids, it’s horrible. Just happens that this woman got caught so we have an opportunity to discuss.
I would really hope one person’s comment wouldn’t affect the goodwill towards the entire school. People’s views on the merits of the schools , the right for every school community to have an honest process before a move or closure, and the expecting better of the DOEs overall approach to the changes in the district shouldn’t be affected by the condemnable statements of one parent
For some ppl, this outrage serves as a feel-good moment.
Are you kidding?? This was 1950’s Jim Crow level racism and you’re minimizing it?
Did it sound like I was kidding?
The only way urbanists will have their vision of a “livable” city where the use of the private car is very, very limited is sadly one where Jim Crow laws are still legal or there is very, very watered down civil rights. Look at how European countries have worse racism than the US or how Singapore has diversity but there is a pecking order. Since racism is a topic now, might as well bring it up.
It was really bad. Maybe you didn’t read all the article? Interrupting a child defending her school to say due to the color of her skin she should be confined to physical labor? That’s really bad. I don’t think it’s too sensitive to set a standard far higher than this.
Where are people hearing the part about physical labor? I listened to the video and didn’t hear that? The rest is bad as is and I’m not minimizing it, but also want to know if there’s part of the recording that I missed
No shortage of liberal hypocrites in these parts……
You have no idea who it was, as the story makes clear.
I hate to promote other local online news since I love WSR, but ILoveTheUpperWestside is naming names.
https://www.ilovetheupperwestside.com/video-and-multiple-witnesses-identify-person-behind-racist-remarks-made-during-student-testimony/
$100 the person who interrupted the meeting was a quality of life policing supporter who voted for Cuomo
How nice of you to paint 906,614 people with the same brush. You’re probably no better than the racist person at the CEC3 meeting. You just hate different people.
Black and brown New Yorkers including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards who endorsed Mamdani are not happy with him.
https://x.com/DRichardsQNS/status/2025019991242740220
Are you surprised some people are racist? Or surprised that someone didn’t know their comments could be heard by everyone?
Help keep Community Action School as a safe space for kids by signing this petition:
https://c.org/4f248bNmBR
The comments were deeply offensive. They were not able to be heard by most people who there in person. The people on the zoom could hear and the leaders at the front who were managing the zoom, but not the student speaker or other students. Its still shocking and it’s good that this is being addressed especially for that people and kids on the zoom who did hear it, but I wonder why D3 leadership decided the best thing to do was to make sure the student speaker and other students who hadn’t heard it, now have. This is a genuine question about whether prople think this was the right way to handle it or whether the district / new superintendent let anger at the racist parent take priority over what was best for those specific children
I know one thing for sure- staying silent in the face of racism and defending our children is NOT the “right way to handle it.”
I’m not sure how to take your scare quotes or if you maybe misinterpreted my comment and question. I totally agree that staying silent wouldn’t have been right and said in my comment that it’s good it’s being addressed. I was hoping though to hear community members’ thoughts on the decision to repeat the comments to the student speaker and other CAS students — who did not hear the comments directly. I don’t know if there was a better alternative and I hope the CAS community and the students themselves support how this has been addressed by the superintendent and the press
All CEC meeting recordings have to be posted within 5 days of recording per Open Meetings Law.
Looks like CEC3 has been out of compliance for quite some time now.
Someone’s hiring a moving van bound for Scarsdale VERY soon.
Bigots have no place in this neighborhood, or this city
Bigots have no place.
Even setting aside the the racist comment described in the article – directed at a CHILD, no less – I can barely believe how much overt and subtle racism there is in the comments here, some by people who would swear they are not racist. It is absolutely horrifying.
It’s been this way for a while.
WSR editor, I don’t envy a moderator’s task anywhere. But it’s one thing to complain about anti-Semitism in this context (off-topic, but at least we can hopefully all agree that an anti-Semitic remark in the same circumstances would be wrong, too!) and another to say it’s no big deal that a child was insulted in a racist way while speaking at a public forum. That child might very well read these comments, for heaven’s sake! What value did publishing that comment have?
Racism in the WSR comments? Hardly the first time.
Any sort of crime reporting gets them, there’s big overlap with NIMBY commentors as well.
Sorry that the truth hurts your feelings. Race is real.
Three words is more efficient than fourteen, eh, David?
Everyone’s racist. Everyone at least a little bit. You too.
Yeah, well, we don’t need to roll around in it.
The urbanist livable streets crowd are big time!
What an offensive and degrading comment.
I hope the person making the statement was immediately escorted out of the meeting or if participating by Zoom, shut off at once.
We hope, but the article suggests they didn’t figure out who it was. It seems in retrospect that they could have muted him/her quickly, but sometimes moderators and participants are too shocked to think fast enough.
lol
It was a center school parent further bolstering the point that PS9 children should not be exposed to them. Get em out!
There are students at PS 9 who have siblings at the Center School. Your brand of divisiveness will run into practical issues. Would you separate siblings at the border of Center and PS9?
Wow. Shockingly ignorant, misguided and shortsighted comment. First off, you make the potential move sound like something punitive, like somehow PS9 is harmed by having CS in the same building and CS should be deported (deliberate choice of words). The schools have coexisted beautifully for years and the potential move is a matter of space. Secondly, D3 has a shameful lack of high-performing middle schools. Center School is one of them. Moving Center to a facility that doesn’t support its ethos or curriculum is effectively gutting the school leaving District 3 with one less strong middle school option. With spaces limited in the others, your precious PS9 kid is more likely to be stuck at an under-performing middle school. But you sound like the type who will prob flee to private or the suburbs.
Third, who exactly should PS9 children not “be exposed” to? Center School parents? Students? As a CS parent, I can say that we are a warm, involved and inclusive community that is desperately trying to heal from one person’s shameful remarks. You are basically saying one individual’s despicable comments justifies moving an otherwise thriving community to a space that will negatively impact its future while displacing another school community that has already been harmed by DOE actions. “Get ’em out”? really? PS9 must think about as highly of you as Center School thinks or racist mom on the CEC meeting.
Not only is it wrong to attribute one person’s comments to the entire Center School community, what even are you saying under your own rationale? PS9 children shouldn’t be exposed to them so move them to PS 191 so those (predominantly black and brown) elementary school kids will be – because they matter less to you than PS 9 kids? (And kick out the 191 middle schoolers to boot.) I’ll say this: the other PS 9 families should be glad people aren’t judging them by your comments as you do to others
Oh I don’t want center school parents affecting PS191 either! I’ve seen them at the community meetings the are anti disability kids as well, forcing ps9 special needs kids into the hallways when they need extra help. My point is that as a whole I’ve only seen the negative side. Very regressive.
This is a blatant lie. Center School is praised for being inclusive and supportive of special needs students, and what parents have expressed is dismay that PS9 would *choose* to push their special needs kids into hallways for services (as PS9 has said it would do) rather than even consider repurposing admin offices or pushing art or other cluster classes into the classroom. That’s a choice PS9 has articulated in terms of its priorities, not something Center has ever advocated. In fact, Center parents of special needs kids routinely talk about how the school’s specific curriculum – the one the DOE will be gutting if they push through the proposed move – has been life changing for their kids, and many PS 9 families of special needs kids have chosen center for middle school for that exact reason. Your comments reflect incredible ignorance.
I think a point should be made of PS9 and PS87 kids for the sake of justice to be forced to go to middle and high school in the outer boroughs like Queens so that they can understand the city around them. Even if it is not a public high school in Queens, they should still go to Monsignor McClancy, Archbishop Molloy, St. Agnes, Christ the King, TMLA or St. Francis Prep so they can see how working class outer boroughs New Yorkers are like. The UWS is a bubble, there are PS9 parents who pay $10,000 a month in rent for apartments and think they own this city and see those who don’t have the privilege of living on the UWS as beneath them.
Really?!?!? One parent makes a horrible statement and you basically jump to every Center School community member is the same and then to use that for the basis of your argument to remove them from the building. Be better than that. If you want Center School out of the building come up with some rationale arguments.
Please do not judge an entire community based on one person’s actions.
I think what he is trying to say is that since the middle school parents are prejudiced the PS 9 community should not be exposed to this and that alone disqualifies them from staying and maybe they should be exposed to a school environment with more minorities. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with what he said but that is what I understand. Also understand that the safe haven homeless shelter was controversial among PS 9 parents.
This is the UWS I have gotten to know pretty well that just happened to be accidentally said out loud. When Muslims with disabilities get their constitutional rights violated at what is supposed to be a joyous event like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, no one on the UWS stands up for them, even people who call themselves progressive. Mamdani is the Mayor now, they have the capacity to make things right that they did not have before. Mamdani is on record saying a person with mental health issues lunges at a police officer with a knife should not be criminally charged, but leadership on the UWS cannot make sure that people do not get profiled and their civil liberties violated at what is supposed to be a joyous event?
However if a person who is either white or white passing who is a member of West Side Democrats or the Four Freedoms Democratic Club got their civil rights violated in the same manner by the Trump administration, Manhattan elected officials will be all over it and make sure that such person got all the resources they need to make them whole or as close to whole as possible.
I’ve been saying it all along – The Center School has been gaslighting the public about the real reason why they don’t want to move to 191. It has little to do with an “auditorium “ or “outdoor space” as they claim repeatedly. Many of them just don’t want to be co-located with a poor and racially-diverse school that happens to be near a few NYCHA buildings.
And you have been told this by CS parents? That’s your source on this “gaslighting” insight? Nope. As a CS parent, I can say you should get your facts straight. Center School is an open, welcoming and diverse community. And it was actually more diverse before the DOE messed with the admissions process – something the school community has been eager to rectify. As for the proposed location, it is very much about the auditorium and outdoor space – it’s an arts-based school and mixing the entire school together is core to the schools ethos. We are open to a location that supports the schools curriculum – this one doesn’t. Plus none of us are keen to see PS191 students displaced. The proposed plan doesn’t work for either side. Again, get your facts right.
PS: the horrid comments during the CEC meetings were about a CAS students comments about their school and not about the proposed location for Center.
100% true. Center school parents don’t want to be inconvenienced by a longer commute.
See comments above. Commute is like 0.1% of the concern. As a CS community member, we are open to any UWS location that supports the school’s curriculum and philosophy. We are willing to deal with a less convenient location if it provides the basics. I feel like you people making these generalizations need to provide your sources because they are definitely not from anyone who is part of Center School.
Here we go again with the generalizations. I have no dog in this fight but to say this is gaslighting by “Center School” is nonsense. Sure, it is likely that there are families that don’t want to move to 191 because its near NYCHA buildings and with be co-located with a “poor and racially diverse school” but to imply that’s the reasoning behind everyone’s fighting to stay or move elsewhere is a bad argument. I am sure there are students that may have issues with the commute and to minimize the importance of the auditorium as part of the CS’s curriculum is misguided.
For the posters here (and on other articles) that are PS9 families or PS9 supporters, perhaps more time should be spent focusing on why PS9 needs the space occupied CS rather than labeling CS families as racist because, let’s be clear, that’s exactly what you are doing. Throwing labels at someone in such a generalized manner is really dangerous (and in my opinion, is the lazy argument) and has become all too common in this day and age.
withdrawn
That is not the case. If you had been following along, you would know that the Center and PS191 communities have been working together to get what’s best foe both schools. An auditorium and outdoor space are as integral to the Center curriculum as science labs are to Bronx Science and a dance studio is to LaGuardia. PS191 wants to stay in their community and are fighting being dissolved by the DOE – which is simply DOE speak for making a problem of their own creation disappear. The Center community has been very clear that that parent’s comments do not reflect the community or the school. Characterizing an entire community based upon the words of one member is quite reductive. Unless, of course, you have skin in the game.
Comparing one 5th-8th grade school to 2 high schools? You know you have a weak argument when you have to compare apples to oranges. Kids enter Center School at 10 year olds. Do you think – at 10 years old – these kids know what they want? That having an auditorium is a make-it-or-break-it amenity for them? You and many other Center School parents keep mentioning what “the Center School curriculum” needs – a curriculum that apparently only caters to a select 250 (10-13 year old) students out of hundreds of thousands of NYC students. And these supposedly essential needs aren’t books, school safety, school supplies, or quality teachers. It’s an “auditorium” to their liking and better “outdoor space”. Apparently, the existing facilities were good enough for the current middle school there now but not for THEIR vaunted middle school. Center School parents are living in such a bubble that they don’t even realize how elitist and privileged this argument sounds. Why don’t parents just be honest and say they don’t want to move to what they perceive as an undesirable location? Right, because it would be the equivalent of this Zoom meeting attendee accidentally unmuting her call.
I would love to hear what your sources are here lol. You sound like one of the PS9 parents trying to paint Center as a bunch of elitist, racist jerks. So ignorant and not fact-based.
D3 has a disgraceful lack of high-performing middle schools of which Center School is one. Its an arts-based curriculum so the auditorium is in fact essential for the school to function in the way it has. It’s not about “what 10 year olds want”. Moving Center to a location that doesn’t support it’s curriculum is effectively gutting it. Are you ok with your precious PS9 kid having one fewer good middle school option? No one in D3 should be ok with this. Center is willing to make sacrifices – the principal doesn’t have an office and closets have been converted to learning spaces. We accept that a move will be necessary and are willing to consider any location that supports the school’s needs. All we are asking is for time to explore options vs. gutting the school by being forced into one.
PS: The 191 community doesn’t want to be booted out. They want DOE to repair all the damage they have done to the school. Are you ok with all of those kids being displaced? That sounds pretty privileged and elitist to me…
💯 correct
This simply isn’t true. Center families have asked the DOE about other sites that do have auditoriums and outdoor space and also happen to be located near NYCHA buildings, co-located with diverse and economically disadvantaged elementary schools or in more diverse neighborhoods. The DOE has said no. Center was more diverse when it had more control over admissions, became less diverse when the DOE imposed the pure lottery system, and would love to return to being more diverse. The focus on the auditorium and outdoor space is genuine. With all that said, this is an article about a single parent’s comments and a particular incident referring to a student from CAS, not about the Center School move. If you genuinely cared at all about the impacted student and school, your focus would be on them not on pushing your agenda for PS 9
Does anyone have a link to the video?
I wish. Bc I think the comment was totally misinterpreted.
I believe the comment was meant to say that Blacks often settle for less bc of pressure to accept crumbs.
The fact that some would prefer a lesser school bc they love the particular community, or that some might even enjoy some benefits of “segregation” when it isn’t imposed, is what makes it seem insensitive for a non-Black person to comment.
Sometimes good intentions hurt even if they were meant to help. It’s sad. But “it” does take a community–all of us.
You have completely ignored the first sentence overheard on the Zoom. “They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school,” Please explain that.
I would answer you, but I think to focus only on wording is ignoring the better message. It’s actually a fault of progressives, to virtue signal to the point of missing the point.
I’m struggling to discern the “good intentions” behind saying “they’re too dumb”
Keep up the good fight. You’ll get it.
I can’t think of another message than the literal one. What is the better message of ““They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school,” Please remember this is an adult college professor speaking about 8th graders when crafting your reply.
Those comments were disgraceful. But pay attention because what the DOE is doing with the incident is also disgraceful. The DOE / D3 leadership is cynically using this awful incident to distract everyone from the VERY reason the Community Action School student was speaking!! That student was bravely pleading with the powerful and seemingly immovable DOE/CEC representatives to listen and change course — because the DOE plans to close a high-impact community school that serves predominantly black and brown students, where those students thrive and feel safe, and is doing so without listening to the black and brown students and families who will be impacted by it. Same story with PS/IS 191. The DOE will now use the awful comments from one parent to make everyone focus on that and remove focus from the DOE’s behavior against Community Action and PS 191.
We can condemn the racism and still hold DOE to account. If you are angry about the comments made against the CAS student, the best thing you can do is amplify what that student was saying about the value of CAS and support the efforts to keep that school and PS 191 open, or at least for the DOE to treat those communities with more respect. Be angry, but don’t let them distract you!
the DOE is really good at pitting one community against another and deflecting attention from their own shortcomings.
100%. And they would much rather have all the focus after that meeting be on the racist comment about the CAS students than have anyone talking about what the CAS students actually were saying.
If the superintendent really wanted to make sure the student voices were heard, he could choose to use communications about the incident to center and amplify the specifics of what the student who was interrupted was saying,. He chose not to. There’s a reason. I wish everyone were paying more attention rather than falling into divide and conquer. And again to leave no doubt: that’s not to diminish the need to respond to the racism. We can do both!
This is horrible. These children had to hear these hateful anti black comments while they are being vulnerable and trying to save their program. And There are actually people here who then deflected the content and importance of sharing what is happening in our communty. That is not a sign of support. Just saying.
To focus on saving but not improving/upgrading is exactly where the oppressors want the oppressed to remain.
How do you like me now?
I suspect the unmuted racist was well aware of being heard. Often the image or name of someone speaking or even throat-clearing appears onscreen, but it can appear and vanish quickly. Hope there is no “next time”
No one cares. Go cry about it some more.
It’s fatigue.
Why not move Center school into the Joan of Arc building, to replace the space vacated by Community Action & MSC middle school? Nice auditorium and outdoor space. Problem solved.
I am not opining on your idea, but you are making a bigger, important point in my opinion. The DOE does everything piecemeal without thinking about the bigger picture. Rather than focus on PS 191 and CS now and Community Action & MSC a year from now, how about they step back and take a holistic look at the entirety of all of the schools in D3 and then come up with a comprehensive plan which may, unfortunately, include school moves, truncations and closures. As it is now, they are treating students like moveable pieces on a chess board and they are failing the students.
what’s almost more nuts to me is that she thinks she’s quoting MLK
Malcolm X
if the remarks were so vile why did the school board repost them?
exactly what is a racist comment? to many any sort of remark that diverges from the leftist groupthink is racist.
the leftists use the term racist as a weapon to stifle remarks that they can’t formulate an intelligent response to.
sometimes the truth can be viewed as racist.
I am not defending or agreeing with the prior commenter. However, a few things I do think worth noting.
-The CEC has not abided by the public posting requirement before. They should, but haven’t. This time they did.
-The student speaker and her peers didn’t hear the content of what was said during the meeting. There was still harm of course to others who did hear and from the unspoken racism that guides decisions, but the hurt to these specific kids came when the comments were told to them later by the DOE pretending to center concern for their wellbeing.
-What the speaker said was abhorrent. What people aren’t commenting on is that that the underlying message was not very different from what the acting superintendent said to a brown parent from PS 191 who was advocating for the school to receive support rather than closure, when he told her that families and students may love their school but that’s because they’ve been conditioned not to expect better. People quietly found it offensive and condescending, but no one jumped down his throat about it- and yet that same thinking is driving actual policy decisions.
-The whole point of the student speakers (and others) at the meeting was that the DOE is not listening to or caring about them and is rushing to shut down schools that serve an important need for black, brown, economically disadvantaged, and other vulnerable students , in favor of whiter wealthier more politically powerful schools and students
So the statements were racist and abhorrent but so is the DOE’s whole approach to the changes coming in D3 – and started by now chancellor Samuels – under coded language and priorities and through a broken process that silences and harms the very students they are now feigning concern over.
They are required to post the recidings. if the meeting is held virtually or in a hybrid format. Under New York State Open Meetings Law, with updates from 2021-2022, virtual/hybrid meetings must be recorded and posted online
Thr comments are viewed as racist because first she says “they are too dumb” and then has a quote referencing what Blacks do. People infer that the “they” that are too dumb is all Blacks.
What about this do you think is the truth that others are calling racist?
The school board is required to post minutes of a public meeting.
This is not about left or right. It’s naked racism directed at a child, and trying to put it on one side of the aisle or another really shows how ugly your beliefs are
Terrifying, especially in these already bad times.
The outrage over the racist remark at the hearing should center on the Black and Brown students of Community Action School (CAS), who courageously spoke out against the DOE’s plan to close their school. These students shared powerful messages about the value of their community, education, and belonging – messages the DOE appears unwilling to truly hear as it moves forward with phasing out and closing the school. Condemning the racist comment is essential, but it must not distract from the DOE’s disregard for these students’ voices and experiences. CAS clearly fosters leadership and empowerment, as shown by its students’ passionate defense of their school. Yet instead of amplifying their message, DOE and District 3 leaders persist in their predetermined course. If the DOE truly wanted to honor these students, it would elevate their words rather than silence them. Anger is justified, and it should strengthen, not divide, solidarity with the students’ cause.
The comments read like a pack of cultists with pitchforks and torches. Someone spoke heresy! Burn her at the stake!
I hear far far worse on the subway on a regular basis. But the people making those comments aren’t White or Asian. So they get a pass right? This is tame compared to the anti Semitic, anti White, anti Asian hate speech you’ll hear on the train.
A Center School parent inadvertently exposes her true feelings about minorities during a school meeting regarding relocation and closures. It’s obvious that there are a certain number of Center School parents opposed to moving to a racially diverse school location and are publicly using more palatable, albeit weak, excuses such as “auditorium“ and “outdoor space”. Please don’t kowtow to this racism. Do not change the plans to move The Center School to 191.
https://www.change.org/p/keep-community-action-school-open
The “working groups” the DOE employed to substitute for parent engagement in these school closure/merger/relocation processes failed to meaningfully engage communities because they were closed door, private meetings where information was not allowed to be shared outside. Please help CAS avoid the DOE chopping block – the proposal to close/phase-out this school may be published in the next two weeks. Please contact DOE leaders in support of CAS
CEC3@schools.nyc.gov; Jill@cec3.org; kristin.Savov@cec3.org; Michelle@cec3.org; jonathan@cec3.org; CEC3@schools.nyc.gov; wendyliz@cec3.org; noah@cec3.org; rhiggins@schools.nyc.gov; TMcClaire@schools.nyc.gov; MGraham8@schools.nyc.gov; plysius2@schools.nyc.gov; MN07@cb.nyc.gov; naveed@cs.columbia.edu; agreen419@gmail.com; gregfaulkner1@gmail.com; ABogad@schools.nyc.gov; aong3@schools.nyc.gov; aho2791@schools.nyc.gov; AFair3@schools.nyc.gov; AGiordano16@schools.nyc.gov; AGarcia141@schools.nyc.gov; Ccasaretti@schools.nyc.gov; msapp@schools.nyc.gov; mali38@schools.nyc.gov; MDienstag@schools.nyc.gov; PSadearnold@schools.nyc.gov; SAubin@schools.nyc.gov; dinowitz@council.nyc.gov; district6@council.nyc.gov; lasherm@nyassembly.gov; Kmoran2@schools.nyc.gov; info@manhattanbp.nyc.gov
Community Action School Is Being Phased Out — Here’s What You’re Not Being Told
* CAS is a high-needs NYC public middle school located in District 3.
* Enrollment is growing, not declining.
* All classes meet the new class size limits required by law.
* 240+ families have applied for Fall 2026 — a 23% enrollment increase this year.
CAS Is Exactly What Community Schools Were Meant to Be
* Serves students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and students in temporary housing.
* Combines academics, social-emotional supports, and family engagement.
* Features small classes, personalized instruction, and a close-knit learning environment.
* Families choose CAS because it works — not because they have no other option.
This Is Not a Failing School
* Recently opened admissions citywide, expanding access across NYC.
* Success is being ignored: choice without stability is not real choice.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUoblVTjwi8/
Hunter College has responded.
https://www.newsweek.com/hunter-college-responds-after-viral-video-of-professors-racist-remarks-11562179
In the article Allyson Freidman says “I was trying to explain the concept of systemic racism by referencing a historical example. ”
I find it harr to belive “they’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school” is a historical reference. Seems to be directed at the kids who spoke. She takes absolutely no responsibility for saying this about an 8th grader brave enough to speak at a public forum.
The outrage over the racist remark at the hearing should center on the Black and Brown students of CAS, who courageously spoke out against the DOE’s plan to close their school. These students shared powerful messages about the value of their community, education, and belonging – messages the DOE appears unwilling to truly hear as it moves forward with phasing out and closing the school. Condemning the racist comment is essential, but it must not distract from the DOE’s disregard for these students’ voices and experiences. CAS clearly fosters leadership and empowerment, as shown by its students’ passionate defense of their school. Yet instead of amplifying their message, DOE and District 3 leaders persist in their predetermined course. If the DOE truly wanted to honor these students, it would elevate their words rather than silence them. Anger is justified, and it should strengthen, not divide, solidarity with the students’ cause.
Let’s also realize that Black and Brown students are by far the biggest beneficiaries of Charter Schools, and our new mayor wants to shut down Charter Schools because he thinks they’re somehow “racist”. Of course, all sentient residents of the UWS know he’s doing this because the teachers’ union is ordering him to.
Sign the petition to keep community action school open: https://c.org/YvHX9hDdfC
Enrollment has increased for fall 2026 & students on the upper west side deserve teachers who educate without prejudice.
CEC District 3 has announced that a formal statement regarding the incident will be discussed & voted on in public at its next meeting on March 3, in accordance with Open Meetings Law. The meeting will take place at the Joan of Arc Building, 154 West 93rd Street and on Zoom. It’s also listed on the CEC3 website.
Please consider supporting Community Action School students – the reason why they were at the CEC3 meeting was to defend their school from being closed/phased out by the DOE. The proposal to phase out CAS will probably be published soon – so the time to send a letter in support is these next few days.
The “working groups” the DOE employed to substitute for parent engagement in these school closure/merger/relocation processes failed to meaningfully engage communities because they were closed door, private meetings where information was not allowed to be shared outside. Please help CAS avoid the DOE chopping block – the proposal to close this school may be published in the next two weeks, at which point the outcome is predetermined, based on the history of PEP voting record, despite procedural opportunities for public comment. Please contact DOE leaders in support of CAS
Here is an email list – CEC3@schools.nyc.gov; Jill@cec3.org; kristin.Savov@cec3.org; Michelle@cec3.org; jonathan@cec3.org; CEC3@schools.nyc.gov; wendyliz@cec3.org; noah@cec3.org; rhiggins@schools.nyc.gov; TMcClaire@schools.nyc.gov; MGraham8@schools.nyc.gov; plysius2@schools.nyc.gov; MN07@cb.nyc.gov; naveed@cs.columbia.edu; agreen419@gmail.com; gregfaulkner1@gmail.com; ABogad@schools.nyc.gov; aong3@schools.nyc.gov; aho2791@schools.nyc.gov; AFair3@schools.nyc.gov; AGiordano16@schools.nyc.gov; AGarcia141@schools.nyc.gov; Ccasaretti@schools.nyc.gov; msapp@schools.nyc.gov; mali38@schools.nyc.gov; MDienstag@schools.nyc.gov; PSadearnold@schools.nyc.gov; SAubin@schools.nyc.gov; dinowitz@council.nyc.gov; district6@council.nyc.gov; lasherm@nyassembly.gov; Kmoran2@schools.nyc.gov; info@manhattanbp.nyc.gov
Community Action School Is Being Phased Out — Here’s What You’re Not Being Told
* CAS is a high-needs NYC public middle school located in District 3.
* Enrollment is growing, not declining.
* All classes meet the new class size limits required by law.
* 240+ families have applied for Fall 2026 — a 23% enrollment increase this year.
CAS Is Exactly What Community Schools Were Meant to Be
* Serves students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and students in temporary housing.
* Combines academics, social-emotional supports, and family engagement.
* Features small classes, personalized instruction, and a close-knit learning environment.
Our lovely supreme leader is making this the norm.
An apology full of BS excuses and deflections. She should be removed from her job and her teaching certificate revoked.
Shameful! She should be let go. What’s wrong with people??!! And an educator??
She apologized but only ti save her skin! The moment she spoke, every word came out of her mouth she meant it and that is what she believes in otherwise it would not have come out of her mouth.
Really despicable but the other woman’s calling an 8th grader “sweetie” and “baby” is patronizing and demeaning. Both of them unprofessional.
Her apology is worthless. Basically she is sorry she didnt mute herself. Words like that cannot be excused away. She needs disciplinary action. This cannot be ignored
I was a student at Joan of Arc Jr HS in 1949-1950. These type of issues were unheard of then! Undreamed of, you might say.
How much would you like to bet that this Hunter College professor has labeled as “racist” anyone who doesn’t share her left-wing political views? Quite ironic, eh?
No question comments were inappropriate and disrespectful. However, anyone who believes these schools provide a quality educational product is naive at best. Cute names for a school aside, sometimes common sense and educational yardsticks matter.