Q&A
Council member Yeger questions students about antisemitism experiences and complaint process at CUNY
3:33:30
·
166 sec
Council Member Kalman Yeger engages in a Q&A session with students Kayla Aaron and Eli Meron about their experiences with antisemitism at CUNY and the effectiveness of the complaint process. The discussion reveals significant issues with how antisemitic incidents are handled within the CUNY system.
- Students report long delays or no response to antisemitism complaints
- One professor was only removed after allegations of sexual misconduct, not antisemitism
- Students express lack of awareness about reporting mechanisms and fear of retaliation
Kalman Yeger
3:33:30
Thank you, mister chairman.
3:33:32
Miss Aaron, did you file a complaint with the administration about, the professor that you that made that comment?
3:33:41
I knew you people control the world.
Kayla Aaron
3:33:43
Yes.
3:33:43
I did.
Kalman Yeger
3:33:44
Whatever happened with that?
Kayla Aaron
3:33:46
The complaint was only responded to after I went in person to the office.
3:33:54
Even so, it took a long time to hear anything back from the office.
Kalman Yeger
3:33:57
What is what is a long time?
Kayla Aaron
3:33:59
I would say about a month.
Kalman Yeger
3:34:02
Even acknowledging that your complaint had been received?
Kayla Aaron
3:34:06
Correct.
Kalman Yeger
3:34:06
Did you use the portal?
Kayla Aaron
3:34:08
It was pre portal.
Kalman Yeger
3:34:08
Pre portal.
3:34:10
Okay.
3:34:10
And and since that how long ago was this?
Kayla Aaron
3:34:13
This was in the fall of 2022.
Kalman Yeger
3:34:16
So so now do you have you ever heard if the the the professor had been disciplined, fired?
Kayla Aaron
3:34:22
The professor was only removed after allegations of sexual misconduct.
Kalman Yeger
3:34:25
Oh, okay.
3:34:27
Well, not antisemitism.
3:34:28
I guess that's not a big deal.
3:34:33
Miss, for the gentleman, you you said that, you had filed complaints as well.
3:34:39
Right?
Eli Meron
3:34:41
I had spoken to my coach.
3:34:43
Oh, you spoke to your coach.
3:34:44
But He was aware of the incident.
Kalman Yeger
3:34:45
But the coach was the one who grabbed the necklace and said don't wear it, and you spoke to the person who did it.
3:34:50
But did you file a
Eli Meron
3:34:51
complaint against that person?
3:34:52
Or I wasn't aware of any any reporting system.
3:34:58
I wasn't made aware.
3:34:59
I had spoken to my coach about this, and he knew of the incident for months and hadn't approached me about it.
3:35:04
And when I came to him, there was no no one made me aware of the reporting mechanisms that were in place.
3:35:11
So and even if they were anonymous, I'm not interested because on a small team, it's very obvious who it is.
3:35:17
Right.
3:35:18
And there is no me and him in a room to rectify the situation.
3:35:22
I still feel intimidated every time I see this individual on campus and other individuals.
Eric Dinowitz
3:35:28
Sounds like that speaks to the need to have more staff members trained and engaged, because a staff member should have stepped in, especially you know, you wanna raise it to the level of of a complaint.
3:35:38
It's as anonymous as it may be.
3:35:40
On a small team, you're not anonymous.
3:35:42
Exactly.
3:35:43
Right?
Kalman Yeger
3:35:44
Just, if I may councilman.
3:35:46
Mister chairman.
3:35:47
In Baruch, just anecdotally, at least seems to be a little bit of a hotbed, relative to the other campuses in the CUNY system.
3:35:55
Do you know of other students who, A, had antisemitic incidents perpetrated against them and, B, followed through with a complaint?
3:36:03
Do you know of any complaint that ever resulted in the expulsion of a student or the firing of a professor?
3:36:12
Not to my knowledge.
3:36:13
Okay.
3:36:13
Alright.
3:36:14
Thank you very much.
3:36:14
Thank you for being here.
Eric Dinowitz
3:36:16
Thank you to this panel.
