At a recent Community Education Council meeting for District 2 in New York City, a controversial resolution proposed issuing a predator warning to schools should Andrew Cuomo be elected mayor. The resolution, introduced on Wednesday, aimed to protect students and staff from Cuomo, citing his 2021 resignation after a state Attorney General report alleged sexual harassment by Cuomo against 11 women.
The resolution explicitly called for the City Council to "institute protocols to safeguard students and school staff from a predatory mayor," referencing the serious nature of the allegations detailed in the report by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. However, the motion was ultimately rejected in a tie vote, four in favour and four against.
The meeting witnessed a strong turnout of activists, with more than fifty individuals from groups such as Trans Formative Schools and Aunties & Friends for Liberation attending, many repeatedly participating in meetings since March 2024. These activists also opposed other measures, including one targeting President Trump’s executive order aimed at ending what he described as "radical indoctrination" in schools.
Tensions ran high during the meeting, with activists performing the “Macarena” and “YMCA” dances as a form of protest. These displays were aimed largely at opponents of Resolution 248, a separate initiative calling on the city Department of Education to reassess its policy on student participation in sports teams according to gender identity. One father opposing this resolution stated, “I would like to protect the right of women who were born biologically as women to have a fair environment in which to compete.”
Vice President Leonard Silverman of the District 2 Community Education Council, which oversees most of lower and Midtown Manhattan and parts of the Upper East Side, condemned the predator warning resolution. Speaking to the New York Post, Silverman described it as "one of the worst resolutions I’ve ever seen by District 2," calling the resolution "just horrific." He advised voters opposed to Cuomo’s potential mayoral run to express their opposition at the ballot box.
Andrew Cuomo has consistently denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. All criminal cases arising from the Attorney General’s investigation have since been dismissed. Cuomo’s campaign released a statement quoting Bishop Orlando Findlayter, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Brooklyn, who defended Cuomo’s character. “This is why people are so distrustful of politics — especially the politics of the far left that appears to be fueled by underhanded, transparent tactics and division,” Findlayter said, referring to the resolution. He described Cuomo as a man of “integrity” and criticised those engaged in what he termed “vile gutter politics for their own personal gain.”
The spirited meetings underscore ongoing debates within the district on education policies, equity, and leadership, reflecting broader national conversations around identity, inclusion, and political accountability.
Source: Noah Wire Services