Q&A
CUNY's policy on identity concealment during on-campus activities
0:51:35
ยท
3 min
Council Member Dinowitz questions CUNY's policies regarding individuals wearing identity-concealing masks during on-campus activities or protests.
- Chancellor Rodriguez reveals that CUNY has not established a specific policy regarding identity concealment
- The discussion highlights that under existing rules, students engaging in on-campus activities must show ID if required
- Dinowitz expresses concern about the practical challenges of enforcing ID checks during large gatherings or protests
Eric Dinowitz
0:51:35
I wanna talk about inside campus because that's completely the purview of the NYPD I mean, of, campus safety.
0:51:42
Correct?
0:51:42
You know what I mean?
0:51:43
Has CUNY established any policy regarding individuals wearing identity concealing masks during on campus activities or protests?
0:51:54
No.
0:51:55
Can you talk can you talk more about that?
0:51:57
Have you considered it?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:51:58
Well, I mean, any any student who's engaging in any behavior on our campuses under the Henderson rules needs to be able to show ID and identify themselves if required.
Eric Dinowitz
0:52:10
Have you but you haven't considered a masking policy?
0:52:14
Because very often, the complaints that happen, there isn't a campus safety officer to check people's ID.
0:52:21
And you know what?
0:52:22
Honestly, when you have a lot of kids, if their faces are concealed, it's a little daunting to go up to each one of them and get their ID.
0:52:29
And a lot of the information we have is from video.
0:52:33
But you have no plans to create a mask, policy at CUNY?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:52:40
We we that would I mean, we're a public university, so the threshold to be able to do that, might might might be complicated.
0:52:49
What we have told the campuses that since they can ask people to show ID and tell us who you are, that that's a way to be able to deal with any kind of concealment that you might have at any at any point.
Eric Dinowitz
0:53:00
But it would require an employee to go up the student and ask for identification.
0:53:06
And in the case that they don't show identification, what happens then?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:53:09
Well, and then they can be submitted to disciplinary action because they're breaking the Henderson rules.
Eric Dinowitz
0:53:15
How many times have you asked for ID?
0:53:17
Or how many times does the QED campus has asked for ID?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:53:19
I mean, you have to go campus by campus, but they do.
Eric Dinowitz
0:53:23
If they keep track of that?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:53:24
If the students if the students are engaging in disruptive behavior, you can go and ask for their ID.
Eric Dinowitz
0:53:31
Does that happen?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:53:32
Yes.
Eric Dinowitz
0:53:36
In speaking with students
David Wapner
0:53:37
Mhmm.
Eric Dinowitz
0:53:38
It does not appear to be their observations that that happens.
0:53:42
But but when a campus safety officer asks for ID, do they log it in any way?
0:53:47
Do they collect that information and share with you how many times they've actually had to do that?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:53:54
I mean, I guess it's logged in if the individual refuses to.
Eric Dinowitz
0:53:58
But I guess if they refuse to, they don't know who it is.
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:54:01
Well, they're but then but then then you get arrested.
Eric Dinowitz
0:54:05
Do has it happened?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:54:08
Well, so that it has happened and then it can be a deterrent to to what they're doing too.
Eric Dinowitz
0:54:12
I'm I'm gonna I'm, you know, I'm gonna guess no one has been arrested for failure to show identification on the CUNY campus.
0:54:20
I I find that very
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:54:22
I I I I I I failed to this degree.
0:54:24
It's one of the Henderson rules.
0:54:25
It's one of the things that is based on the in the code of conduct that you have to do that.
Eric Dinowitz
0:54:28
Right.
0:54:29
But do I I get the question.
0:54:30
Do you know how many students have been arrested for failure to show ID?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:54:33
I I don't have that number.
0:54:35
No.
0:54:35
Okay.
Eric Dinowitz
0:54:36
I've I I mean, if you're testifying that that is the process and those are things that happen, I think the committee deserves to know, does it happen or how often that happens per campus?
0:54:48
So there is besides relying on existing rules and interpretations of the Henderson rules, there is no specific policy regarding identity concealment.
0:54:59
Correct?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:55:00
No.
0:55:01
Okay.