Mayor Bill de Blasio passionately defended city Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s race agenda Monday night, claiming a nine-member bipartisan coalition of city and state pols “should be ashamed of themselves” for demanding Carranza be fired if his “contentious rhetoric” continues.
“The [elected officials] should’ve known better, and that’s not the way to handle it,” de Blasio also told NY1. “Richard Carranza is not going anywhere. He’s doing a great job.”
The mayor was referring to a scathing letter he received Saturday, signed by seven City Council members and two state assemblymen, ripping Carranza for instituting “divisive” school system policies based on ethnicity.
The coalition also raised “deep concern” over a lawsuit by three white veteran Department of Education administrators charging that Carranza has fostered a “hostile atmosphere.” As first reported by The Post, the plaintiffs, all women, claim they were demoted or pushed aside for less qualified people of color.
“It’s irresponsible, and all the folks who signed that letter should be ashamed of themselves,” de Blasio said.
Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens), who authored the letter, said “if caring for the education of nearly 1.2 million [city public school] children is irresponsible to the administration, then so be it.”