After Hassan Naveed, Metropolis Corridor’s former hate crimes prevention director, was fired earlier this 12 months, he alleged his axing was the results of religious-based office discrimination and mentioned he would take authorized motion towards Mayor Adams’ administration over the matter.
A discover of declare filed by Naveed reveals he additionally plans to take authorized motion straight towards Adams over allegations that the mayor defamed and retaliated towards him within the aftermath of his termination.
Naveed’s discover, filed in July, marks the primary formal step in his deliberate lawsuit towards town and prices Adams made the “false and defamatory” feedback about him throughout an April 30 press convention at Metropolis Corridor.
“Mayor Adams made such statements with the personal knowledge that they were false and harmful to plaintiff’s reputation, but stated them publicly anyway in retaliation and to punish [Naveed], such that [Naveed] may not receive a job in the future.”
Mayor Adams. (Barry Williams / New York Every day Information)
In response to his defamation accusations, Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak mentioned Wednesday that Naveed is the one making “false” feedback.
“This individual was an at-will employee who, after being terminated, went to the press and made false statements about why he was let go. The press then asked Mayor Adams for his explanation and he responded with the truth,” Mamelak mentioned. “The mayor has every right to set the record straight when false claims are made about the administration.”
“And the idea that occasional fluctuations in hate crime data shows success is superficial,” Naveed mentioned. “We are supposed to look at things from a much larger perspective, beyond politics.”
On the time Naveed was canned, hate crime charges have been spiking within the metropolis following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with the NYPD receiving 136 hate crime complaints and conducting 76 hate crime-related arrests within the first quarter of 2024. These charges have since elevated additional, with 153 complaints and 79 arrests logged by the NYPD within the third quarter of 2024.
In April, Mamelak, Adams’ spokeswoman, mentioned Naveed was let go as a result of “it was determined that the important mission of this office should be led by someone who puts bringing hate crimes down first and themself second.”
Naveed’s place hasn’t been stuffed practically eight months later. Naveed’s former deputy, Eunice Lee, the one different staffer within the hate crimes prevention workplace, resigned in July, and her function hasn’t been stuffed both.
Mamelak mentioned Metropolis Corridor is within the strategy of “onboarding” a brand new government director to interchange Naveed, however didn’t provide a timeline for when a rent shall be made. She additionally mentioned the workplace has employed two new staffers because the spring.
Initially Printed: December 12, 2024 at 12:48 PM EST
