PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joseph Fiero, Former Lead Assistant Principal, on Special Education Abuse and Oversight
6:23:03
ยท
9 min
Joseph Fiero, a former lead assistant principal with extensive experience in special education, provided testimony on widespread abuse and negligence in special education programs across multiple school districts in New York City. He detailed personal accounts of physical, verbal, and sexual abuse of students with disabilities, as well as retaliation against whistleblowers like himself.
- Fiero reported various forms of abuse, including verbal threats, physical violence, and sexual molestation of disabled students.
- He criticized multiple city administrations for failing to address these issues despite his repeated reports.
- Fiero called for a comprehensive city, state, and federal investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
Joseph Fiero
6:23:03
Okay.
6:23:04
My name is Joseph Fero.
6:23:05
I've been a lead assistant principal of 8 school sites, special ed supervisor of 5 school sites, master teacher, community volunteer for over 30 years to Pueblos, NAM, a whole bunch of organizations.
6:23:23
Pretty much today, I I'm I you know, I had surgery, massive surgery just recently, but a parent reached out to me regarding her daughter acquiring, bruises on her body.
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And she also mentioned 2 others 2 other children, being bruised.
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And I, and and then the name popped up, of a very high ranking individual of which I reported in the past for, cover up of child abuse, very serious stuff.
6:23:58
I I went ahead and for the last 30 years, I'm gonna mention to you some of the, abuses that have occurred and, what I would like to see happen.
6:24:11
I myself was a special ed student, and I vowed to never turn my back, worked so hard to get through my education and and and worked as a demolition worker for $6 an hour, just to work my way through school with my disability and all.
6:24:30
My volunteer work is literally more hours than people, devote to their day job.
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Okay?
6:24:38
So working, a full time job, then volunteer work, then fighting corruption, it's time for city officials.
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And, you know, I'm and also remember, I'm not talking about all city officials.
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Honorable people out there the same way that there's many honorable educators.
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But what we're talking about is 2 districts here.
6:25:01
Okay?
6:25:03
And here are some of the things that have happened, and and one of these people is still in power.
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And I think that this investigation needs to go as far back as possible to make sure justice is done.
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Not early retirement.
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Justice is done.
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Verbal threats.
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I'm going to choke you up, this is said to children.
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Kicking minors in their privates.
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Staff reported, children for reported, reported to me as a lead assistant principal that they're going that that staff members were kicking children up the crack of their, and I'm not gonna say it in case any minors are listening, ASS.
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And, female students and this is going way back, which I've tried every city agency to get through.
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Every city agency took my reports.
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It's horrible.
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Female students being molested.
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Disabled students leaving the school building without follow-up, where I used to stay in a school building till 8, 9, 10 o'clock at night to make sure every child got home on time and safe and, well, safely.
6:26:20
Had they listened to me in my reports, Avante Aquino, the little boy, autistic boy who died, may still be alive today.
6:26:28
Children being robbed at knifepoint, no follow-up whatsoever.
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Administrators, cursing at students down the hall.
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Horrible, horrific behavior, which is a bad influence on subordinates that, you know, may feel entitled to do the same.
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It's just horrible.
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These are crimes against humanity.
Paul Anthony Urbanek
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Okay?
Joseph Fiero
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And I consider myself a devout Christian.
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Okay?
6:26:59
Students being thrown to the floor.
6:27:01
I'll never forget it.
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Children being thrown to the floor with the staff member's foot in the child's throat, turning around and and the child telling me, I can't breathe.
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I'm choking.
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I can't breathe.
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With the blade of his foot in the child's throat.
6:27:19
Okay?
6:27:20
We're talking about very serious things here.
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Now you're also talking about this is very similar to what happened to Floyd.
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I mean, does it ring a bell?
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Calling students animals.
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Okay?
6:27:37
These are clearly crimes against humanity.
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Clearly, crimes against humanity, for defending these kids.
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And by the way, thank you for the accommodation of speaking longer, and I appreciate that.
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For defending these kids and their families, I was placed in a reassignment center, the rubber room, not once, but 3 times for almost a period of total period of 3 years with fraudulent charges pressed against me.
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And guess what?
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Every single one of those charges I was vindicated on by doctor Gregory of St.
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John's University who was an arbitrator, who now calls me the honorable Joe Fero.
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And, also, I was vindicated in the federal courts by magistrate judge Francis.
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Okay?
6:28:30
Because I almost lost my house because I defended our children.
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I almost lost everything.
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Okay?
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This is very serious stuff here.
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This is not a joke.
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And this one, I I'm trying to remember everything that that's happened.
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Investigators threatened me in an elevator with a gun.
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Okay, telling me to be very careful where I go with my evidence.
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I can honestly say nobody is safe.
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No child is safe in New York City.
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And let me tell you something.
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This is 4 administrations.
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Okay?
6:29:13
Mayor Adams, de Blasio, straight down the list, Bloomberg, and Giuliani himself.
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Okay?
6:29:23
I had lengthy conversations with our mayor.
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Okay?
6:29:27
And still, promises were made and nothing was done.
6:29:31
Okay?
6:29:32
I in one of the offices of investigation, they told me if I didn't leave with all the evidence, not once, they told me this numerous times that I would be arrested.
6:29:48
If I didn't leave with all the evidence that I would be arrested, at that point, I went went ahead and called 911.
6:29:56
Okay?
6:29:57
And I called 911, and the police came, and they says, what's going on here?
6:30:03
Mister Fero has all of these evidence, of child abuse, and and you're turning him away?
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They took the offices to the back of the room, and you know what they did?
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They went ahead and they spoke to the police officers, and the officers returned to me and said, mister Fera, we're so sorry what you're going through, but we have to escort you out.
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You're a 100% right, but you need a lawyer.
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And the thing is that I shouldn't and no one should have to go ahead and find lawyers and pay for lawyers to defend yourself after you defend the children and the families of New York City.
6:30:40
Okay?
6:30:41
No one should have to go ahead and find lawyers to say, oh, now I have to pay a lawyer to defend myself because I'm having a whole bunch of fraudulent charges pressed against me.
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And then let me tell you, I was vindicated on every single one.
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Okay?
6:30:58
We're talking about pure evil here.
6:31:02
Chief, Joseph, I like your posture, but it's time for action.
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I it's really time for action.
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You know?
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If I tell you what I've been through in 30 years with this system as one of the best leaders and you talk about the bottom line, I have the bottom line for you.
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I have children as young as 5 6 years old under my tutelage that can multiply faster than the principal and superintendent of schools straight through the 12 times table.
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And they're special ed.
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They're reading on and above grade level, special ed.
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And I have proven myself.
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I have a portfolio of evidence and proof written by the top leaders of New York City.
6:31:45
What are the chancellors doing?
6:31:47
What exactly are they doing?
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You can't even report basic things like children being abused and something being done about it.
6:31:55
Well, I was called again.
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And even though I had surgery, I says I have to come and speak.
6:32:01
I can barely walk, but I came here today to speak
Eric Dinowitz
6:32:04
Thank you.
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Your time's expired.
Joseph Fiero
6:32:07
I have 9 minutes.
6:32:11
I have 9 minutes.
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I have I have accommodation.
Nadia Jean-Francois
6:32:15
Yes.
6:32:15
The 9 minutes has expired.
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We gave you 9 minutes.
Joseph Fiero
6:32:17
Okay.
6:32:17
Well, last note.
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I'm calling on a city, state, and federal investigation of this.
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I would like to see these people brought to justice.
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Anybody that would like to help, reach out to Mark Goldstein, zoom management ataol.com.
6:32:32
Let's unite, and let's make a difference.
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With the city council, hopefully, something will be done.
6:32:38
God bless you all.