Opposition calls for CM King’s removal
Group sends letter to City Council following years of misconduct, harassment
DO IT FOR THEM.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,14 JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2020 BTR
Get tested for
COVID-19.
FREE, confidential and
safe. No insurance needed.
Visit NYC.Gov/COVIDTest
BY JASON COHEN
Councilman Andy King
faced accusations of misconduct
in 2019, new allegations
that he abused his staff and
the City Council Disciplinary
Committee has charged him
three times over the course of
two years.
Many people are fed up with
his behavior and on July 28,
the Sexual Harassment Working
Group, Senator Alessandra
Biaggi and several other
groups sent a letter to Council
Speaker Corey Johnson demanding
King’s removal.
Survivors and advocates
expressed anger after the
Council suspended King for 30
days last year but didn’t give
him the boot. Despite the City
Council’s Committee on Standards
and Ethics’ 2019 release
of a nearly 50-page report of
charges against King, including
serial sexual harassment
and discrimination, intimidation
and retaliation against
survivors and witnesses, King
is still in offi ce.
“The City Council must
send a clear message to workers,
and the electorate, that
city elected offi cials do not
and will not continue to tolerate
sexual harassment and
discrimination,” the letter
stated. “In addition to a vote
to approve King’s expulsion
from the Council, this should
include reforms to strengthen
the Council’s processes in safeguarding
staff against harassment,
retaliation and other
harmful behavior through an
effective independent accountability
system and formalized
protections.”
In November 2019 the Sexual
Harassment Working
Group stood with the more
than 130 current and former
courageous City Council staffers
who, in an open letter to
Speaker Johnson, demanded
King’s expulsion.
In July, a former King
staffer sued him in federal
court after alleging his offi ce
retaliated against her after
she was helping an investigation
into him.
“It is crucial that these internal
reforms include input
from those most affected: current
central and council member
staff, and King’s staff, in
particular,” the letter said.
“Once again, we also ask the
City Council to convene public
hearings modeled after New
York State Legislature’s 2019
harassment hearings so that
the Council can have the opportunity
to review feedback
from experts, advocates, survivors
and other stakeholders
on how to best protect public
employees from harassment
and discrimination.”
On July 28, The Sexual Harassment Working Group, Senator Alessandra Biaggi and several other groups sent a
letter to Council Speaker Corey Johnson demanding King’s removal. Photo courtesy of the New York City Council
/COVIDTest