A New York City employee of Mayor Eric Adams has sparked outrage after she was allowed to keep her job 'promoting diversity' despite being videoed ripping Israeli hostage posters down and allegedly assaulting a witness.
Nallah Sutherland, a special event coordinator for the Mayor's Office of Special Projects and Community Events, was seen tearing down a poster from a lamp post on the Upper East Side in early November.
Sutherland, 25, pulled the poster down and threw it in the trash, according to a video posted online by the nonprofit organization StopAntisemitism.
A witness asked her, 'Is there a reason you're taking those down?', referring to the posters that were part of a public campaign to raise awareness of Israeli and American hostages taken captive by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, terror attack.
The witness continued: 'Those were hostages. They were taken by terrorists.'
Sutherland swipes the witness's phone and walks away, with the person then saying: 'That's assault actually. You know that, right?'
The nonprofit's founder, Liora Rez, said: 'It's an appalling act of antisemitism.'
The witness, who is Jewish, didn't report the incident to the authorities and wanted to remain anonymous considering antisemitism cases are soaring nationwide, according to the New York Post.
On November 2, Nallah Sutherland, was seen earlier this month tearing down a poster from a lamp post on the Upper East Side in NYC
The nonprofit organization, Stop Antisemitism's founder, Liora Rez, said: 'It's an appalling act of antisemitism'
'It’s a sad state of affairs when the victim doesn’t have trust in the NYPD or [soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg] to properly investigate hate crimes,' said Rez. 'There’s no trust in the authorities to keep the victim safe.'
Rez called for the 25-year-old to be immediately fired, but Sutherland was given a disciplinary note on her work file and was required to take 'multicultural training', according to a City Hall source that spoke with the Post.
The same 'multicultural training', to prevent similar behavior in the future, will be required by all of the Mayor's Office of Special Projects and Community Events staff.
She began working for Mayor Eric Adams in 2023 and helps plan celebrations hosted at Gracie Mansion and other sites to honor the diverse city's many ethnic groups, according to the New York Post.
According to her office's website, she's part of a team who work to 'bridge cultural divides' and 'support key city initiatives that help provide a source of strength, unity, and resilience to New Yorkers across all communities within the five boroughs and beyond.'
Referred to as the MOSPCE team, the website also said that the events and projects they plan 'embrace and rejoice in the extraordinary cultural richness and range' of New York City.
In May, the office organized a Jewish heritage celebration hosted by Adams - an Israel supporter- at Gracie Mansion. The guest speakers included Shoshan Haran who, with her daughter and two grandchildren, were taken hostage by Hamas and released 50 days later.
Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, after being told of Sutherland's actions, said: 'It's extremely hypocritical that someone who supports the murder of anyone still has a job, much less in a department that plays a vital role in our city's diversity efforts - despite the fact that she cannot tolerate innocent Jews who were kidnapped by Hamas.'
Sutherland began working for Mayor Eric Adams in 2023 and helps plan celebrations hosted at Gracie Mansion and other sites to honor the diverse city's many ethnic groups
A witness asked her, 'Is there a reason you're taking those down?', referring to the posters that were part of a public art campaign to raise awareness of Israeli and American hostages taken captive by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, terror attack
Vernikov, who is Jewish, added: 'Decisive action must be taken to purge this disgusting pro-jihadist sentiment from [city government] once and for all.'
City Hall learned of the incident after being tipped off by a viewer who recognized Sutherland on StopAntisemitism's social media account.
Sutherland is a 'junior staffer' who doesn't directly communicate with Adams as part of her duties, according to a source within City Hall, reported the New York Post.
'Mayor Adams has been clear that hate has no place in our city, and the same - if not higher - standard should be held for our city's more than 300,000 employees,' the Mayor's Office said.
'That is why disciplinary action was taken immediately after learning about this incident a few weeks ago.'
Yoav David, an activist and founder of Jews of NY, told the outlet: 'It is especially disturbing to learn that an individual employed by the mayor's office - particularly in a position meant to celebrate the city's diversity - is directly connected to this culture of hate.'
