HIKIND ASKS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AT BROOKLYN COLLEGE

NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

February 12, 2013

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release
718-853-9616 (office)

HIKIND ASKS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AT BROOKLYN COLLEGE

“We need to ensure that all students’ freedom of speech remains unhampered… not just the free speech of students belonging to select groups.”

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) has asked Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to investigate the forcible removal of four Jewish students from an event at Brooklyn College.

On Thursday (February 7) the group Students for Justice in Palestine and the Brooklyn College Political Science Department staged a well-publicized event “The BDS Movement Against Israel” where four Brooklyn College students were grabbed by security at the behest of the event’s organizers and forcibly ejected from the forum. While a demonstration against the event was taking place nearby, these four Jewish students chose to attend the event with the intention of asking tough questions and distributing leaflets offering an opposing position.

“All four students had reserved seating for the event,” said Assemblyman Hikind in a letter to the Attorney General. “The students were sitting quietly as the first speaker addressed the audience; in their laps were leaflets that contained opposing points of view. They were approached by an event organizer who demanded their papers and when they refused to surrender their property, they were manhandled out of the room by campus security.

“This is a civil rights violation. The physical, forcible removal of these four students from this event specifically violates Brooklyn College’s non-discrimination policy, which states that students will not be excluded from participation in the programs of the college because of national or ethnic origin, or religion.”

Although Brooklyn College has said that it will investigate the matter, Assemblyman Hikind believes an independent investigation by the Attorney General’s office is necessary. “We need to ensure that all students’ freedom of speech remains unhampered at Brooklyn College, and not just the free speech of students belonging to select groups.”

AT LONG LAST, HATE IS NOT HATE! (A Lesson In New Speak)

Yesterday, I was genuinely relieved to read a letter from “Progressive Elected Officials” to Brooklyn College President Karen Gould in which Gould—and by extension, Brooklyn College—was fully vindicated for taking such a daring, important academic stance in sponsoring “The BDS Movement Against Israel.”

Yes, I said sponsoring—not endorsing. They are two different things, apparently. In fact they might even be diametrically opposed concepts! My most important take-away from the letter, and the college’s elucidated position, was the clarification of the word sponsorship, which President Gould assures us does not in any way imply an endorsement.

Imagine my chagrin! For so many years I had mistakenly believed that sponsorship meant approval, backing, support. Did I acquire this notion as a student myself at Brooklyn College, or did I receive this misinformation later as an elected official?

In my bewilderment, I did a little research. I opened my Webster’s Dictionary. The ancient tome explains that a sponsor is “one who assumes responsibility for some other person or thing.”

Perhaps Webster’s is out of date, I thought (things do change so quickly these days!) So I found an Oxford Dictionary. And again I was baffled, because Oxford tells us that to sponsor is to “introduce and support.”

Did I say baffled? Perhaps I should say enlightened. Because if support means non-support, then sunshine means rain. Black means white and white means yolk. I shouldn’t be surprised to learn this at my age because 40 is the new 20. And concerned means everything’s a-okay. Just ask Brooklyn College.

AN APPEAL TO BROOKLYN COLLEGE DONORS TO REMOVE COLLEGE ENDORSEMENT OF ANTI-SEMITIC LECTURES

NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

February 5, 2013

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release
718-853-9616 (office)
 
HIKIND APPEALS TO BROOKLYN COLLEGE DONORS TO REMOVE COLLEGE ENDORSEMENT OF ANTI-SEMITIC LECTURES

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) has reached out to individual Brooklyn College trustees and major donors in an effort to convince Brooklyn College President Karen Gould of her grave error in allowing the school’s Political Science Department to officially co-sponsor an anti-Semitic/anti-Israel lecture. Featuring a well-known racist, the event “BDS Movement Against Israel” is scheduled to take place on campus on February 7.


“We are not objecting to freedom of speech,” the Assemblyman told the trustees and donors, who have given tens of millions of dollars to the college. “We aren’t attempting to still any side of any argument. What we object to is the school’s endorsement of this event. The BDS movement’s stated goal is to not only effectuate a boycott of Israeli businesses and schools but to fully delegitimize Israel’s existence.


“Brooklyn College relies on tax dollars as well as contributions from generous individuals. My fellow elected officials on the New York City Council, the New York State Assembly, and the New York State Senate will continue to raise our voices in strong objection to this event’s official sponsorship by a Brooklyn College Department. I am hopeful that donors, too, will raise their voices and help convince President Karen Gould of the error in allowing this event to be sponsored and endorsed by the college itself.”


Last week, Assemblyman Hikind was joined by numerous elected officials in protesting the college’s official endorsement of the event. Since that time, many more elected officials—including U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn—have added their voices in objecting to the school’s seal of approval on the hatefest.

HIKIND, THOMPSON, CYMBROWITZ CONDEMN BROOKLYN COLLEGE FOR SPONSORING ANTI-SEMITIC LECTURES

NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

January 31, 2013

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release
718-853-9616

(left to right) NYS Senator Eric Adams, NYC Councilman David Greenfield, NYS Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson, Ari Kagan, Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz

HIKIND, THOMPSON, CYMBROWITZ CONDEMN
BROOKLYN COLLEGE FOR SPONSORING ANTI-SEMITIC LECTURES

STATE SENATORS, ASSEMBLY MEMBERS & NYC COUNCILMEN LINE UP TO DENOUNCE MISUSE OF STATE FUNDS

“PRESIDENT GOULD SHOULD RESIGN,” SAYS HIKIND

Assemblymembers Dov Hikind and Steve Cymbrowitz along with former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson addressed a huge gathering of students, faculty and press this morning at Brooklyn College to strongly criticize Brooklyn College for officially co-sponsoring an anti-Israel lecture featuring a well-known racist. The event 

“BDS Movement Against Israel,” which is scheduled to take place on the Brooklyn College campus on February 7, will be co-sponsored by Brooklyn College’s Political Science Department.

“This lecture, which is funded by tax dollars, gives a platform to the BDS movement, whose goal is to delegitimize Israel’s existence,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “Like its philosophical brothers in Hamas, BDS aims to eliminate the State of Israel from the map. Only its tactics differ from its terrorist cousins: While Hamas blows up busses of innocent men, women and children, BDS works to isolate Israelis, to cut them off from business.”

“This isn’t an issue of freedom of speech. This isn’t about having a dialogue. This is about the City’s University, which uses public funds, officially sponsoring speakers who call for the annihilation of the State of Israel; speakers who praise Hamas and Hezbollah. I asked President Gould to just withdraw the official support of the Political Science Department because that support is the City University giving its endorsement. Do that and we have no issue. They can go on and have their hateful forum. But President Gould doesn’t get it.”

The Brooklyn College Political Science Department co-sponsored event invites students to hear seasoned propagandist Omar Barghouti, founder of the BDS, who has compared Israelis to Nazis and added that he won’t take a lecture from a “white person”. Barghouti will be joined by Judith Butler, an apologist for Hamas and Hezbollah.

Assemblyman Hikind’s office reached out numerous times to Paisley Currah, chairman of the Brooklyn College Political Science Department. Currah would not accept his calls, nor calls from other elected officials. Hikind called Currah a coward.

In addition to former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson, numerous elected officials turned out this morning to condemn Brooklyn College’s sponsorship of the BDS event, including: NYS Senator Eric Adams, NYS Senator John Sampson, NYS Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs, NYS Assemblyman Alan Maisel, NYS Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, NYS Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, NYC Councilman David Greenfield and NYC Councilman Mike Nelson.

Also in attendance were Helen Freedman, Executive Director, Americans For a Safe Israel, as well as Ari Kagan (a leader in the Russian Jewish community) and Wolf Sender, District Manager, Brooklyn Community Board 12. Dr. Rina Yarmish (Chairperson, Mathematics & Computer Science, Kingsborough Community College) addressed the crowd and delivered comments from CUNY Trustee Jeff Wiesenfeld. Joey Saban, a Brooklyn College sophomore, also addressed the crowd.

Former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson addresses the crowd.

Joey Saban, a Brooklyn College sophomore, talks about the chilling message sent to Jewish students by the Political Science Department's official endorsement of BDS.

Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz from Queens talks about the message  that Brooklyn College is sending to its students by officially endorsing an anti-Israel lecture.

HIKIND ASKS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO PROBE BROOKLYN COLLEGE ANTI-SEMITISM

press release

May 31, 2012

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release

                718-853-9616 (office)      

    973-945-4903 (cell)

MANY ADDITIONAL WITNESSES PREPARED TO COME FORWARD

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) has asked Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to look into accusations of anti-Semitism at the highest levels of Brooklyn College. The Assemblyman says that although CUNY promised to independently investigate charges made by Brooklyn College staff that Provost William Tramontano demonstrated a pattern of racial discrimination against faculty and job candidates, what CUNY delivered was anything but independent.

“CUNY’s internal investigation was a sham,” said the Assemblyman. “The atmosphere of intimidation at Brooklyn College continues and the fear of retaliation is very real to staff. But many additional witnesses will come forward for the Attorney General.”

Last month, Assemblyman Hikind, along with 20 fellow lawmakers, contacted CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein asking him to address what they considered a pervasive pattern of anti-Semitism at Brooklyn College originating from the Provost’s office. Among incidents cited, Observant Jewish faculty candidates were denied employment opportunities at the college despite the highest recommendations from the College’s Appointment Committee; promotions were denied to Orthodox Jews while given to far-less-deserving staff members; and biased language unbecoming of a staff member was attributed to Tramontano. In one case, Tramontano blocked the hiring of a highly qualified Orthodox Jewish woman recommended by his own committee with the words, “I already gave you a Miriam.”

“I am overwhelming disappointed by CUNY’s inability to address this matter honestly,” said Assemblyman Hikind, himself a Brooklyn College graduate. “It’s clear that a probe from the Attorney General is called for. With their identities protected by the Attorney General, many witnesses who have kept quiet until now are eager to offer evidence of what’s going on at Brooklyn College.”