🍎 citymeetings.nyc #21
Antisemitism at CUNY, Youth Mental Health, Next Generation 911
Hi!
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving week.
This week's highlights are from hearings on:
- The Lippman report on antisemitism at CUNY
- Next Generation 911
- Youth Mental Health
Vikram
For a complete listing of published meetings, visit https://citymeetings.nyc.
Hearing on the Lippman report
Chancellor Félix Matos Rodriguez of CUNY gives testimony.
- The Lippman report, commissioned by Governor Hochul, involved over 200 interviews and visits to 13 CUNY campuses over 10 months to examine antisemitism and discrimination policies. Link
- 21 current NYC council members are CUNY graduates, including Speaker Adrienne Adams. Link
- Parents have told city council members they are hesitant to send their Jewish children to CUNY due to safety concerns, even when the students want to attend. Link
- CUNY reports $3 million in damages from recent campus protests. Officials dispute that any CUNY students were involved. Link
- A John Jay College student was denied fellowship participation due to Sabbath observance. Administrators then pressed him to withdraw his discrimination complaint. Link
- Baruch's Hillel Director faced direct threats during campus protests, including chants of "you're not going home tonight." Link
- A BMCC math professor reported finding posters calling for intifada near his classroom. His safety concern was processed as a discrimination complaint with no follow-up. Link
- Protesters disrupted a Brooklyn College donor reception, shouting obscenities at attendees including the college president. Public safety declined to remove them. Link
- After returning from a volunteer trip to Israel, Baruch College students report that SJP members circulated their photos around CUNY schools, telling people to "watch out for them." Link
Hearing on NYC's next generation of 911
A deaf advocate gives public testimony regarding Next Generation 911 over Zoom via an ASL interpreter.
- NYC's 911 system handles over 9MM calls and 45K text sessions annually, making it the nation's largest emergency communication system. Link
- The city's text-to-911 service has processed 175K text sessions since its June 2020 launch. Link
- A single text emergency can require multiple messages to convey the same information as a voice call, with 175K text sessions generating 3.8MM total messages. Link
- Council Member Paladino left the hearing early after driving 90 minutes to attend, citing the commissioner's lack of preparation on disability services bills. Link
- The current 20-year-old 911 system requires operators to handle either voice calls or text messages exclusively - they cannot do both at once. Link
- The system processes 234K calls annually requiring translation services, but text-to-911 is only available in English and Spanish. Link
- While NYC spends $25MM on 911 services, deaf advocate Marcela Davis testified that funding for deaf and hard of hearing services remains minimal. Link
- The city maintains a "call if you can, text if you can't" policy for 911 services, launched in June 2020. Link
- Council Member Bottcher argued that emergency services must adapt to younger generations who prefer texting over phone calls. Link
- AT&T is currently the only carrier supporting multimedia messaging for NYC's 911 system after Sprint's capabilities ended following the T-Mobile merger. Link
- The city aims to complete its Next Generation 911 system upgrade by December 2025, with infrastructure completion set for July 2025. Link
Hearing on youth mental health
Local high schools students give testimony on youth mental health concerns.
- The council is reviewing four bills focused on youth mental health, covering school wellness clubs, peer support, and community response to violence. Link
- The School Mental Health program serves 548 out of 1,800 NYC public schools through on-site and external providers. Link
- NYC schools employ approximately 5,200 counselors and social workers. Link
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among New Yorkers aged 15-24, according to The Samaritans of New York. Link
- A Manhattan Early College senior testified about helping a friend who attempted suicide, noting the lack of mental health resources beyond college counseling. Link
- A Union Square Academy student described facing ignored racial stereotypes and slurs affecting Asian American students' mental health. Link
- A Repertory High School student's LGBTQ+ support club closed when the founder experienced their own mental health crisis. Link
- A former NYC student created a 40-member mental health club after losing a classmate during COVID-19, despite initial administrative resistance. Link
- The Chancellor's Student Advisory Council created a guide for starting youth-led mental health initiatives two years ago. Link
- The city's Teenspace mental health app contains 14 ad trackers and 30 third-party cookies collecting user data, according to privacy advocates. Link
Thanks for reading!
Comments, questions, or feedback? Reply to this email or shoot me a note at vikram@citymeetings.nyc
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